Epiglottitis may present with which sign combination?

• A. Sneezing and runny nose.
• B. Abdominal pain with cramping.
• C. Headache and neck stiffness.
• D. Inspiratory stridor with drooling and fever.

Answer: (D)

Epiglottitis presents most clearly with signs of an acute upper airway obstruction: inspiratory stridor along with drooling and fever. Stridor shows partial blockage at the level of the epiglottis and surrounding airway, while drooling occurs because swelling makes swallowing painful or impossible, so saliva pools as the child can’t swallow normally. The fever reflects the infectious process driving the swelling. Together, these findings point to a cry for airway assistance rather than symptoms of a typical viral URI, abdominal issues, or meningitis.

Sneezing and a runny nose fit a viral upper respiratory tract infection, not an obstructed airway. Abdominal pain with cramping doesn’t involve the airway. Headache with neck stiffness suggests meningitis and lacks the drooling and stridor you’d expect with epiglottitis. So the combination of inspiratory stridor, drooling, and fever is the hallmark sign set for epiglottitis.