FISDAP Obstetrics and Pediatrics 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

The condition characterized by sore throat, high fever, excessive drooling, and inspiratory stridor is epiglottitis. This serious inflammation of the epiglottis is often caused by an infection and can lead to airway obstruction, making it a medical emergency.

The symptoms described are typical for epiglottitis: the high fever is an indication of infection, sore throat signifies inflammation, excessive drooling suggests difficulty swallowing (a common response to severe throat pain or obstruction), and inspiratory stridor indicates a narrowed airway, which is often due to swelling of the epiglottis itself. Prompt recognition and treatment are vital to ensure airway patency and to prevent respiratory failure.

In contrast, croup typically presents with a barking cough and is often associated with a viral infection affecting the larynx and trachea, leading to a hoarse voice and stridor, but does not generally cause drooling or severe throat pain. Bronchiolitis primarily affects infants and causes wheezing and difficulty breathing rather than severe stridor or drooling. Pneumonia usually presents with cough, fever, and difficulty breathing but does not strongly feature drooling or stridor. Therefore, while all these conditions have respiratory symptoms, the combination of the specific