Scarlet fever in an adult patient: A challenging diagnosis in an airway emergency

Scarlet fever is essentially a childhood disease, although it may occur in all ages. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential in preventing the spread of infection and progression to life-threatening complications. The case presented describes the clinical difficulty in the diagnosis of scarlet f...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Luísa Conceição Martins Ferreira, Ana Oliveira, Cláudia Pereira, Alexandra Guedes, José Pedro Assunção
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2021-10-01
Series:SAGE Open Medical Case Reports
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/2050313X211049908
Description
Summary:Scarlet fever is essentially a childhood disease, although it may occur in all ages. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential in preventing the spread of infection and progression to life-threatening complications. The case presented describes the clinical difficulty in the diagnosis of scarlet fever in an adult patient with acute involvement of the airway (oedematous laryngitis) and the need for emergent orotracheal intubation and eventually tracheotomy. A high degree of suspicion related to the airway involvement is of utmost importance in an emergency room setting.
ISSN:2050-313X