“急性会厌炎”是一种发病少死亡率高之感染性疾病,常见于五岁以下儿童,成人也有罹患者。此病开始颇似上感,但4—6小时后可发展成严重的呼吸道阻塞而致命。常见致病菌有嗜血性流行性感冒杆菌、葡萄球菌、肺炎球菌及链球菌。作者报导四个误诊病例,例一诊断为“哮喘”,注射肾上腺素后心跳停止;例二诊断为“腺热”及“不典型腮腺炎”;例三诊断为“气管异物”;例四诊断为“急性咽炎及扁桃体周围脓肿”。这些患者均因误诊而几至丧命。 “Acute epiglottitis” is an infectious disease with less morbidity and mortality, common in children under five and in adults. The disease begins to feel a bit fluky, but it can be fatal after 4-6 hours of developing severe obstruction of the airways. Common pathogens are Haemophilus influenzae, staphylococcus, pneumococcus and Streptococcus. The authors report four misdiagnosed cases, one case diagnosed as “asthma”, cardiac arrest after injection of epinephrine; cases two diagnosed as “glandular fever” and “atypical mumps”; three cases diagnosed as “tracheal foreign body”; four cases of diagnosis Acute pharyngitis and tonsil abscess. These patients died of misdiagnosis.