What are the misunderstandings in the diagnosis and treatment of acute laryngitis in children?

What are the misconceptions about the diagnosis and treatment of acute laryngitis in children? There may be no premonitory symptoms before the onset of acute laryngitis in children. Many children develop the disease in the middle of the night, with only bouts of coughing and cracking sounds at the beginning. Therefore, many mothers mistakenly believe that it is a common cold. However, they do not know that this disease is much more serious than a cold. So, what are the misconceptions about the diagnosis and treatment of acute laryngitis in children?

1. Foreign body in the respiratory tract: First of all, it should be distinguished from foreign body in the respiratory tract. Acute laryngitis usually has no history of foreign body inhalation. There may be a history of upper respiratory tract infection such as fever, runny nose, cough, etc. before the onset of the disease, which can be distinguished from it.

2. Differentiation from diphtheria: Diphtheria is an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, characterized by fever, shortness of breath, hoarseness, barking cough, and white pseudomembranes in the pharynx, tonsils and surrounding tissues. In severe cases, myocarditis and nerve paralysis may occur, and systemic poisoning symptoms are obvious.

3. Acute laryngitis, trachea, and bronchitis: It is basically the same as acute laryngitis, but the condition is more serious. The inflammation extends deep into the lower respiratory tract, and the lung symptoms are also more obvious. If the bronchial secretions form dryness and block the lower bronchus, breathing difficulties may be aggravated.

4. Differentiation from laryngeal spasm: It is common in small infants, with an acute onset, inspiratory laryngeal wheezing, sharp and thin tone, short duration, and symptoms that disappear suddenly, without hoarseness. It often occurs under light anesthesia and after the endotracheal tube is removed, especially after upper airway surgery in children. For example, the incidence rate after tonsillectomy is about 20%.

Therefore, if parents find that their children have symptoms such as coughing and runny nose, and soon develop a coughing sound, they should not think that it is just a cold. They should take their children to the hospital for examination and treatment, otherwise the children may develop laryngeal spasm and laryngeal obstruction in a very short time. Acute laryngitis can be effectively controlled within a few hours as long as it is discovered and treated in time, and most cases will improve significantly within 1-2 days.