Acute upper airway obstruction

Alternative names:

airway obstruction - acute upper, choking

Symptoms:

Symptoms vary depending on the cause but some symptoms remain fairly common to all types of obstruction.

• choking
• gasping for air
• wheezing, crowing, whistling or other unusual breathing noises indicating breathing difficulty
• agitation or fidgeting
• panic
• cyanosis (bluish discoloration of skin caused by lack of oxygen)
• changes in consciousness
• unconsciousness

Signs and tests:

Physical examination may show decreased breath sounds. Tests are usually not necessary, but may include a chest X-ray, bronchoscopy, or blood gas analysis and laryngoscopy.

Updated Date: 02/09/00

Updated By:J. Gordon Lambert, MD, Associate Medical Director, Utah Health Informatics and adam.com editorial