Bacterial tracheitis is an uncommon, infectious cause of acute upper airway obstruction.
It was first described in the early 1900s. In 1979, Jones et al . first used the term bacterial tracheitis to describe a diffuse inflammatory process of the larynx, trachea and bronchi with adherent or semi-adherent mucopurulent membranes within the trachea. Patients may present as having croup, with symptoms such as barking cough, stridor and fever. However, patients will not respond to standard therapy and may experience acute respiratory decompensation. Bacterial tracheitis is a diffuse inflammatory process of the larynx, trachea and bronchi with adherent or semi-adherent mucopurulent membranes within the trachea.