Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Death After Delayed Diagnosis of Acute Epiglottitis in an Adult Patient Initially Seen in Urgent Care: A Case Report

Urgent Message: Epiglottitis is a potentially fatal condition that has undergone a changing etiology in the post-Hib vaccine landscape. Urgent care providers should be well versed on its presentation to properly triage patients and avoid misdiagnosis. William Bradley, BA Citation: Bradley W. Death After Delayed Diagnosis of Acute Epiglottitis in an Adult Patient Initially Seen in Urgent Care: A Case Report. J Urgent Care Med. 2025; 19(6)31-35. Key words: sore throat, epiglottitis, thumbprint sign Abstract …

Man with Fever and Sore Throat

A 37-year-old man presents to an urgent care center after 2 days of fever and sore throat. He reports that the soreness is worse with swallowing. He reports that he did not have any preceding rhinorrhea or myalgias. He has had no exposure to ill persons, and he has no history of previous illnesses. He reports that he smokes cigarettes and occasionally drinks alcohol. View the image taken (Figure 1) and consider what your diagnosis …