Emergency evaluation and management of the sore throat.

Department of Emergency Medicine, North Shore University Hospital, Long Island Jewish Hospital, 300 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA. angcirilli@gmail.com

Emergency medicine clinics of North America 2013 May

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Although sore throat is a very common complaint in the emergency department and is often associated with benign conditions, such as pharyngitis, it can be the early onset of something much more serious and even life threatening. A thorough history and examination are vital to the correct diagnosis but a high index of suspicion must be maintained to diagnose less common but serious pathology, such as epiglottitis and retropharyngeal abscess. Airway management is paramount to survival, and aggressive means should be taken early when epiglottitis is considered. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.