Pediatric otolaryngologic emergencies.

Anesthesiologists are often consulted to help in the management of pediatric otolaryngologic emergencies. These include airway obstruction in children suffering from acute epiglottitis and croup. Surgical otolaryngologic emergencies such as foreign body aspiration, post-tonsillectomy bleeding, obstructive laryngeal papillomatosis, peritonsillar abscess, and laryngeal trauma can be life threatening. The pathophysiology, clinical course, and anesthetic management of these conditions are addressed with special emphasis on the details of airway management in each case.