Which sign combination most strongly suggests epiglottitis in a child?

• A. Drooling and a tripod position
• B. Fever, sore throat, and tripoding
• C. Barking cough with inspiratory stridor
• D. Cough with runny nose and wheezing

Answer: (B)

In pediatric airway emergencies, signs of airway distress plus infection point toward epiglottitis. The strongest clue here is fever with sore throat accompanied by the child adopting a tripod position to help breathe. The tripod posture reflects effort to keep the airway open, and fever with throat pain signals an infectious process in the upper airway, which together make epiglottitis the most likely diagnosis among common options.

Other scenarios fit different conditions: a barking cough with inspiration-stridor is classic for croup, which tends to have a different pattern of fever and throat involvement. A cough with runny nose and wheezing fits a viral URI or asthma rather than epiglottitis.

Because epiglottitis can progress rapidly, keep the child calm, avoid throat inspection, and arrange rapid transport with airway support as needed.