Page 66 - Portuguese Journal - SPORL - Vol 61. Nº2

without spontaneous drainage) was 41.2%, and (p<0.001), MEWS (p=0.017), elevation of
that of cervical abscess was 7.8%, with 13.7% the inflammatory parameters (p=0.003),
patients requiring surgical drainage. Moreover, neutrophilia (p=0.014), and need for surgical
AAM was used in 17 patients (33.3%), with 14 abscess drainage (p=0.004). Similarly, the
and three patients undergoing orotracheal duration of symptoms was positively correlated
intubation and surgical tracheotomy, with an elevated CRP (p=0.018), leukocytosis
respectively (Figure 3). (p=0.02), neutrophilia (p<0.001), and presence
Spearman’s correlation analysis showed a of exudate in the supraglottis (p=0.026). The
statistically significant correlation between only symptom that was positively correlated
the need for AAM and duration of symptoms with all outcomes and MEWS was dyspnea

Table 2
Intravenous treatment administered to hospitalized patients with epiglottitis

Treatment Frequency in Number and Percentage (%)
Ceftriaxone 40 78.4%
Clindamycin 15 29.3%
Metronidazole 12 23.5%
Amoxicillin/Clavulanic acid 7 13.7%
Cefotaxime 1 2.0%

Vancomycin 3 5.9%
Levofloxacin 1 2.0%
Benzylpenicillin 1 2.0%
Piperacillin/Tazobactam 1 2.0%
Dual antibiotics 30 58.8%
Corticosteroids 48 94.1%

Figure 3
a) Graph demonstrating the percentage distribution of the outcomes: epiglottic abscess; cervical
abscess; surgical drainage; advanced airway management (AAM); b) Graph showing the AMM
subgroups (orotracheal intubation and tracheotomy) by the percentage of occurrence

a) b)

208 Portuguese Journal of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery