A 60-year-old Man With Stridor, Drooling, and "Tripoding" Following a Nasal Polypectomy

Abstract

The surgeon performed an emergency tracheostomy and the patient's condition improved rapidly; his heart returned to a normal sinus rhythm and his skin color changed from dusky blue to pink.Our patient presented with the classic signs and symptoms of [epiglottitis], including stridor, drooling, shortness of breath, and tripod body positioning. [...]the patient may have had an underlying infection, despite the fact that he was afebrile when he was discharged from outpatient surgery and did not report any symptoms before his polypectomy.