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Medical Author:

John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

John P. Cunha, DO, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Cunha's educational background includes a BS in Biology from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and a DO from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Kansas City, MO. He completed residency training in Emergency Medicine at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey.

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Medical Editor:

Jay W. Marks, MD

Jay W. Marks, MD

Jay W. Marks, MD, is a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist. He graduated from Yale University School of Medicine and trained in internal medicine and gastroenterology at UCLA/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

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Epiglottitis is a medical emergency. Someone who is suspected of having epiglottitis should be taken to the hospital. Any signs of difficulty in breathing should be reason enough to call 911 to take the person to a hospital's emergency department for evaluation by a doctor.

If the following signs and symptoms are present, an individual should go directly to a hospital's emergency department:

Sore throat associated with:

• Muffled voice
• Fever
• Inability to swallow
• Fast heartbeat
• Irritability
• Drooling
• Respiratory distress characterized by shortness of breath, rapid shallow breathing, very ill-looking appearance, upright posturing with tendency to lean forward, and stridor (high-pitched sound when breathing in)

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