A laryngeal edema may result from repeated intubation attempts in a cat and they may breathe with an audible ____ or wheeze.

A laryngeal edema may result from repeated intubation attempts in a cat and they may breathe with an audible ____ or wheeze.

• A. Stertor
• B. Stridor
• C. Wheeze
• D. Gurgle

Answer: (A)

Upper-airway obstruction from laryngeal edema often produces a muffled, snoring-type sound as air moves past swollen soft tissues. This stertor is typical when swelling narrows the upper airway after airway manipulation like repeated intubations. It differs from stridor, which is a high-pitched, harsh sound signaling a more acute, severe narrowing at the larynx or trachea; wheeze is a musical noise arising from lower airway problems such as bronchospasm; and a gurgle suggests secretions in the airway. In a cat with laryngeal edema, the edema affects the upper airway, making stertor the most likely audible finding, with wheeze being less characteristic of this localization of obstruction.

Upper-airway obstruction from laryngeal edema often produces a muffled, snoring-type sound as air moves past swollen soft tissues. This stertor is typical when swelling narrows the upper airway after airway manipulation like repeated intubations. It differs from stridor, which is a high-pitched, harsh sound signaling a more acute, severe narrowing at the larynx or trachea; wheeze is a musical noise arising from lower airway problems such as bronchospasm; and a gurgle suggests secretions in the airway. In a cat with laryngeal edema, the edema affects the upper airway, making stertor the most likely audible finding, with wheeze being less characteristic of this localization of obstruction.