Standard therapy for acute epiglottitis in a child is:

c. Endotracheal intubation in the operating room and intravenous antibiotic therapy

Acute epiglottitis is a common cause of acquired airway obstruction in the pediatric age group. Haemophilus influenzae B is nearly always the causative organism, and most children are toxic at presentation with an elevated temperature and an increased pulse and respiratory rate. Prolonged inspiratory stridor that worsens in the supine position is characteristic. The child usually sits erect, anxious and drooling and becomes increasingly exhausted with air hunger. No attempt should be made to visualize the larynx outside of the operating room for fear of sudden airway occlusion. The standard therapy is short-term endotracheal intubation performed in the operating room with general anesthesia. The inflammatory process resolves rapidly with intravenous antibiotics and intubation is seldom required beyond 3 days. In the past, tracheostomy was the standard therapy, but comparative reviews demonstrate that short-term endotracheal intubation is associated with less morbidity and fewer complications.