Tracheitis Overview
Learn About Tracheitis
Tracheitis is a bacterial infection of the windpipe (trachea).
Bacterial tracheitis; Acute bacterial tracheitis
Bacterial tracheitis is most often caused by the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus. It often follows a viral upper respiratory infection. It affects mostly young children. This may be due to their tracheas being smaller and more easily blocked by swelling.
Symptoms include:
- Deep cough (similar to that caused by croup)
- Difficulty breathing
- High fever
- High-pitched breathing sound (stridor)
The child often needs to have a tube placed into the airways to help with breathing. This is called an endotracheal tube. Bacterial debris often needs to be removed from the trachea at that time.
The child will receive antibiotics through a vein. The health care team will closely monitor the child's breathing and use oxygen, if needed.
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Jon Malan is a Family Medicine provider in Pocatello, Idaho. Dr. Malan and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Tracheitis. His top areas of expertise are Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), Allergic Rhinitis, Sinusitis, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Dr. Malan is currently accepting new patients.
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Ana Weinhold is a Family Medicine provider in Pocatello, Idaho. Dr. Weinhold has been practicing medicine for over 17 years and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Tracheitis. Her top areas of expertise are Lymphangitis, Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), Tracheitis, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Dr. Weinhold is currently accepting new patients.
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Sulabha Chaganaboyana is a Family Medicine provider in Pocatello, Idaho. Dr. Chaganaboyana has been practicing medicine for over 21 years and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Tracheitis. Her top areas of expertise are Vertigo, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Tracheitis, and Hypertension. Dr. Chaganaboyana is currently accepting new patients.
With prompt treatment, the child should recover.
Complications may include:
- Airway obstruction (can lead to death)
- Toxic shock syndrome if the condition was caused by the bacteria staphylococcus
Tracheitis is an emergency medical condition. Go to the emergency room right away if your child has had a recent upper respiratory infection and suddenly has a high fever, a cough that gets worse, or trouble breathing.
Summary: Artificial airways, such as endotracheal tubes and tracheostomies, in the pediatric and neonatal intensive care units (PICU, NICU respectively) are lifesaving for patients in respiratory failure, among other conditions. These devices are not without a risk of infection - ventilator-associated infections (VAIs), namely ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) and ventilator-associated tracheitis (VAT)...
Published Date: November 29, 2022
Published By: Josef Shargorodsky, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
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Rodrigues KK, Roosevelt GE. Acute inflammatory upper respiratory obstruction (croup, epiglottitis, laryngitis, and bacterial tracheitis). In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 412.
Rose E. Pediatric respiratory emergencies: upper airway obstruction and infections. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 162.
Wenzel RP. Acute bronchitis and tracheitis. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 90.