Authors

  1. Gonzalez, Juan Manuel DNP, APRN, AGACNP-BC, ENP-C, FNP-BC, CEN, CNE, FAANP
  2. McGhee, Stephen DNP, MSc, PGCE, RNT, RN, VR, FAAN
  3. Nadeau, Catherine DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, CCRN, CNE
  4. Ortega, Johis PhD, APRN, ACNP-BC, ENP-BC, FNP-BC, FAAN, FAANP

Abstract

Ludwig's angina is a fast-spreading cellulitis located on the floor of the oropharynx and neck (Tami, Othman, Sudhakar, & McKinnon, 2020). Patients may present with a wide range of symptoms depending on the severity of the condition (Reynolds & Chow, 2007). Emergency nurse practitioners need to promptly identify, diagnose, and treat patients with this problem, with close attention to the patient's airway. A compromised airway is the leading cause of mortality from this condition (McDonnough et al., 2019). The diagnosis is generally made with a comprehensive history and physical examination, laboratory values, and imaging studies such as computer tomography (Bridwell, Gottlieb, Koyfman, & Long, 2021). Management includes admission to the hospital, broad-spectrum antibiotics, and specialist surgical consultation (Bridwell et al., 2021).