Traumatic Epiglottitis following a Blind Insertion of the Hand during Convulsion

Abstract

Traditionally, it has been recommended that first-responders should place chopsticks or their hand in a child’s mouth to prevent the child from biting their tongue during convulsion. The practice persists locally in parts of Japan and can cause adverse events. We report a traumatic epiglottitis following the thrusting of a guardians’ hand into a 13-month-old girl’s mouth to prevent her from biting her tongue.