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Laryngitis

Karlynn Sievers, MD and Bethany Price, DO Reviewed 06/2022
 


BASICS

DESCRIPTION

  • Laryngitis is inflammation, erythema, and edema of the mucosa of the larynx and/or vocal cords characterized by hoarseness, loss of voice, throat pain, coughing, and often a negative...

DIAGNOSIS

HISTORY

  • Hoarseness, throat “tickle,” dry cough, and rawness (4)

  • Dysphonia (abnormal-sounding voice)

  • Constant urge to clear the throat

  • Possible fever

  • Malaise

  • Dysphagia/odynophagia

  • Regional cervical...

TREATMENT

  • Limited but good evidence that treatment beyond supportive care is ineffective (4)[A]

  • Supportive care consists of hydration, voice rest, humidification, and limitation of caffeine (1)[A].

  • An...

ONGOING CARE

PATIENT EDUCATION

  • Educate on the importance of voice rest, including whispering.

  • Provide assistance with smoking cessation.

  • Help the patient with modification of other predisposing habits or...

REFERENCES

1
Wood  JM, Athanasiadis  T, Allen  J. Laryngitis. BMJ.  2014;349:g5827. [View Abstract on OvidMedline]
2
Carpenter P, Kendall K. MRSA chronic ...

ADDITIONAL READING

Benninger  MS, Holy  CE, Bryson  PC, et al. Prevalence and occupation of patients presenting with dysphonia in the United States. J Voice.  2017;31(5):594–...

CODES

ICD10

  • J37.0 Chronic laryngitis

  • J04.0 Acute laryngitis

  • J05.0 Acute obstructive laryngitis [croup]

SNOMED

  • 29951006 Chronic laryngitis

  • 45913009 Laryngitis

  • 64375000 Acute laryngotracheitis

  • 6655004 Acute lar...

CLINICAL PEARLS

  • Laryngitis is usually self-limited and needs only comfort care. Standard treatment is voice rest, hydration, humidification, and limit caffeine intake.

  • Refer to ENT for direct visualiza...

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