Epiglottitis - From Diagnosis to Resolution Over Time (Pics and Video)

Normal Epiglottis The normal epiglottis is a very thin flap of tissue that closes over the windpipe when swallowing preventing food/liquids from going down the wrong way. Shown by the blue arrow in the picture, when the epiglottis becomes infected, it can swell in size to even obstruct the airway leading to death by asphyxiation. Indeed, epiglottitis is what is thought to have killed our first  President George Washington . Fortunately,  epiglottitis  is quite rare ever since the introduc…

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Sarah Silverman Suffered From Epiglottitis

Photo by Joan Kirby in Wikipedia Comedian and actress Sarah Silverman reported on her Facebook page that she suffered from epiglottitis last week that required intubation and an ICU stay at Cedars Sinai Hospital last week.  Apparently, her symptoms started with a simple sore throat. The normal epiglottis is a very thin flap of tissue that closes over the windpipe when swallowing preventing food/liquids from going down the wrong way. Shown by the blue arrow in the picture below, when …

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Video of Epiglottitis

The normal epiglottis is a very thin flap of tissue that closes over the windpipe when swallowing preventing food/liquids from going down the wrong way. Shown by the blue arrow in the picture, when the epiglottis becomes infected, it can swell in size to even obstruct the airway leading to death by asphyxiation. Indeed, epiglottitis is what is thought to have killed our first President George Washington . Fortunately, epiglottitis is quite rare ever since the introduction and regular use o…

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Epiglottitis Killed President George Washington?

I came across a great blog post by Michael Hebert regarding a book review of Joseph Ellis' biography His Excellency: George Washington . Apparently, at the age of 67, President George Washington died in 1799. I quote from the blog post the following account: "One morning in mid-December 1799, Washington went out, as it was his daily habit, on horseback from his home to inspect his Mount Vernon property. That particular day the weather was very cold and there was an ice storm. I…

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Washington Post Medical Mystery: A Deadly Sore Throat

The Washington Post on September 23, 2008, published a story of a severe sore throat due to epiglottitis, a severe infection involving the epiglottis, a structure immediately above the airway, which can result in death if not treated quickly. However, due to an accurate diagnosis, treatment with antibiotics and steroids was quickly provided and the patient recovered uneventfully. Read the story here .

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