An acute upper airway obstruction is a blockage of the upper airway, which can be in the trachea, voice box (laryngeal), or throat (pharyngeal) areas.
Alternative NamesAirway obstruction - acute upper
Causes, incidence, and risk factorsCauses of acute upper airway obstruction include:
Symptoms vary depending on the cause, but some symptoms are common to all types of airway blockage. They include:
Physical examination may show:
Tests are usually not necessary, but may include:
If the person has a complete obstruction and is unable to speak or breathe, the Heimlich maneuver may be lifesaving.
Treatment depends on the cause of the blockage.
Prompt treatment is often successful. However, the condition is dangerous and may be fatal, even if treated.
ComplicationsInability to relieve the obstruction can cause:
Airway obstruction is an emergency. It is a good idea to learn how to clear an airway of a foreign body by using a method such as the Heimlich maneuver.
Diseases in which airway obstruction develops over a period of hours will allow time to get to a hospital. If an acute airway obstruction occurs, call 911 or your local emergency number for medical help. Do what you can to maintain breathing until medical help arrives.
PreventionPrevention depends on the cause of the upper airway obstruction.
The following methods may help prevent an obstruction:
Manno M. Pediatric respiratory emergencies: upper airway obstruction and infections. In: Marx J, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2006: chap 166.
Thomas SH, Brown DFM. Foreign bodies. In: Marx J, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2006: chap 57.
An acute upper airway obstruction is a blockage of the upper airway, which can be in the trachea, voice box (laryngeal), or throat (pharyngeal) areas.
Alternative NamesAirway obstruction - acute upper
Causes, incidence, and risk factorsCauses of acute upper airway obstruction include:
Symptoms vary depending on the cause, but some symptoms are common to all types of airway blockage. They include:
Physical examination may show:
Tests are usually not necessary, but may include:
If the person has a complete obstruction and is unable to speak or breathe, the Heimlich maneuver may be lifesaving.
Treatment depends on the cause of the blockage.
Prompt treatment is often successful. However, the condition is dangerous and may be fatal, even if treated.
ComplicationsInability to relieve the obstruction can cause:
Airway obstruction is an emergency. It is a good idea to learn how to clear an airway of a foreign body by using a method such as the Heimlich maneuver.
Diseases in which airway obstruction develops over a period of hours will allow time to get to a hospital. If an acute airway obstruction occurs, call 911 or your local emergency number for medical help. Do what you can to maintain breathing until medical help arrives.
PreventionPrevention depends on the cause of the upper airway obstruction.
The following methods may help prevent an obstruction:
Manno M. Pediatric respiratory emergencies: Upper airway obstruction and infections. In: Marx J, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2009:chap 166.
Thomas SH, Brown DFM. Foreign bodies. In: Marx J, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2009:chap 57.
Reviewed ByReview Date: 07/16/2011
Jacob L. Heller, MD, MHA, Emergency Medicine, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington, Clinic. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
TONGUe
The Heimlich maneuver.
laboured or no signs of breathing/Choking.
rhonchi
Stridor
Prolonged inspiration indicates and upper airway obstruction and prolonged expiration indicates a lower airway obstruction according to Brady Emergency Care 12th Ed.
A tube which is inserted into an incision in the trachea (tracheostomy) to relieve upper airway obstruction.
An obstruction of the upper airway involves the blockage of the airway in the throat, trachea (airway going to the lungs) or the voice box. Multiple things can cause upper airway obstruction, such as foreign objects (choking), swelling due to allergic reaction and chemical or heat burns which cause blistering/swelling. Most of the time, people would first think of choking as causing an obstruction of the upper airway, even though there are a variety of causes.
Abdominal thrusts (also known as the Heimlich maneuver)
breathing stops briefly and periodically due to partial upper airway obstruction during sleep
alteration of facial growth because of enlarged adenoids, upper airway obstruction, development of an irregular bite, difficult speech or swallowing
The nose, pharynx, and trachea are the parts of the upper airway. The tubes of the lungs comprise the lower airway.