Supraglottic and Subglottic Edema
Last Academic Update: May 2, 2026
Overview
A practical and academic approach to upper airway narrowing when the core problem is anatomical edema: is the swelling supraglottic, involving the epiglottis, aryepiglottic folds, arytenoids, or laryngeal inlet? Or is it subglottic, narrowing the tightest part of the pediatric airway below the vocal cords? This is an airway decision map for the on-call physician: where is the edema, is the patient stable, is it safe to examine the throat, when do we treat medically, and when do we move as an airway team before stridor becomes silence?
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