Complete upper airway obstruction is a rare complication of disease entities in the pediatric patient population; however, it needs to remain high on the differential diagnosis because it can abruptly become a life or death scenario. Respiratory compromise has long been known to be the leading cause of cardiac arrest in children.
The year 2010 marked the 100th anniversary since sickle cell disease was described by Dr. James Herrick in 1910. Worldwide, it is the most commonly encountered genetic disorder. Annually, it afflicts an estimated 100,000 patients in the United States.
