BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuTracheitisBacterial tracheitis; Acute bacterial tracheitisTracheitis is a bacterial infection of the windpipe (trachea). Causes 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. Viral upper respiratory infectionThe common cold most often causes a runny nose, nasal congestion, and sneezing. You may also have a sore throat, cough, headache, or other symptoms....Read Article Now Book Mark Article Symptoms Symptoms include:Deep cough (similar to that caused by croup) CoughCoughing is an important way to keep your throat and airways clear. But too much coughing may mean you have a disease or disorder. Some coughs are d...Read Article Now Book Mark Article CroupCroup is an infection of the upper airways that causes breathing difficulty and a "barking" cough. Croup is due to swelling around the vocal cords. ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Difficulty breathing High fever FeverFever is the temporary increase in the body's temperature in response to a disease or illness. A child has a fever when the temperature is at or abov...Read Article Now Book Mark Article High-pitched breathing sound (stridor) StridorStridor is an abnormal, high-pitched, musical breathing sound. It is caused by a blockage in the throat or voice box (larynx). It is most often hea...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Exams and Tests The health care provider will perform a physical exam and listen to the child's lungs. The muscles between the ribs may pull in as the child tries to breathe. This is called intercostal retractions.Intercostal retractionsIntercostal retractions occur when the muscles between the ribs pull inward. The movement is most often a sign that the person has a breathing probl...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Tests that may be done to diagnose this condition include:Blood oxygen level Nasopharyngeal culture to look for bacteria Nasopharyngeal cultureNasopharyngeal culture is a test that examines a sample of secretions from the uppermost part of the throat, behind the nose, to detect organisms tha...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Tracheal culture to look for bacteria X-ray of the trachea or neck X-rayX-rays are a type of electromagnetic radiation, just like visible light. An x-ray machine sends individual x-ray waves through the body. The images...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Tracheoscopy Treatment 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. Outlook (Prognosis) With prompt treatment, the child should recover. Possible Complications Complications may include:Airway obstruction (can lead to death) Airway obstructionBreathing difficulty may involve:Difficult breathing Uncomfortable breathingFeeling like you are not getting enough airRead Article Now Book Mark Article Toxic shock syndrome if the condition was caused by the bacteria staphylococcusToxic shock syndromeToxic shock syndrome is a serious disease that involves fever, shock, and problems with several body organs.Read Article Now Book Mark Article When to Contact a Medical Professional 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.Open ReferencesReferencesCai Y, Meyer A. Pediatric infectious disease. In: Flint PW, Francis HW, Haughey BH, et al, eds. Cummings Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 201.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.AllVideoImagesTogRelated Information Breathing difficulty(Symptoms)Common cold(Condition)Croup(Condition)Toxic shock syndrome(Condition)Colds and the flu - InDepth(In-Depth) Review Date: 11/29/2022 Reviewed 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. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. 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TracheitisBacterial tracheitis; Acute bacterial tracheitisTracheitis is a bacterial infection of the windpipe (trachea). Causes 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. Viral upper respiratory infectionThe common cold most often causes a runny nose, nasal congestion, and sneezing. You may also have a sore throat, cough, headache, or other symptoms....Read Article Now Book Mark Article Symptoms Symptoms include:Deep cough (similar to that caused by croup) CoughCoughing is an important way to keep your throat and airways clear. But too much coughing may mean you have a disease or disorder. Some coughs are d...Read Article Now Book Mark Article CroupCroup is an infection of the upper airways that causes breathing difficulty and a "barking" cough. Croup is due to swelling around the vocal cords. ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Difficulty breathing High fever FeverFever is the temporary increase in the body's temperature in response to a disease or illness. A child has a fever when the temperature is at or abov...Read Article Now Book Mark Article High-pitched breathing sound (stridor) StridorStridor is an abnormal, high-pitched, musical breathing sound. It is caused by a blockage in the throat or voice box (larynx). It is most often hea...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Exams and Tests The health care provider will perform a physical exam and listen to the child's lungs. The muscles between the ribs may pull in as the child tries to breathe. This is called intercostal retractions.Intercostal retractionsIntercostal retractions occur when the muscles between the ribs pull inward. The movement is most often a sign that the person has a breathing probl...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Tests that may be done to diagnose this condition include:Blood oxygen level Nasopharyngeal culture to look for bacteria Nasopharyngeal cultureNasopharyngeal culture is a test that examines a sample of secretions from the uppermost part of the throat, behind the nose, to detect organisms tha...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Tracheal culture to look for bacteria X-ray of the trachea or neck X-rayX-rays are a type of electromagnetic radiation, just like visible light. An x-ray machine sends individual x-ray waves through the body. The images...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Tracheoscopy Treatment 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. Outlook (Prognosis) With prompt treatment, the child should recover. Possible Complications Complications may include:Airway obstruction (can lead to death) Airway obstructionBreathing difficulty may involve:Difficult breathing Uncomfortable breathingFeeling like you are not getting enough airRead Article Now Book Mark Article Toxic shock syndrome if the condition was caused by the bacteria staphylococcusToxic shock syndromeToxic shock syndrome is a serious disease that involves fever, shock, and problems with several body organs.Read Article Now Book Mark Article When to Contact a Medical Professional 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.Open ReferencesReferencesCai Y, Meyer A. Pediatric infectious disease. In: Flint PW, Francis HW, Haughey BH, et al, eds. Cummings Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 201.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.