Laryngospasm – colloquially called laryngeal spasm – (synonyms: Glottis spasm; glottis spasm; hyperkinesis laryngis; laryngeal spasm; laryngismus; laryngismus stridulus; laryngospasm; laryngeal spasm; spasmus glottidis; spastic croup; ICD-10-GM J38.5 laryngospasm) refers to the spasmodic constriction of the glottis. Complete laryngospasm can be distinguished from partial laryngospasm.
Complete laryngospasm (grade III laryngospasm) is a life-threatening emergency.
Sex ratio: balanced.
Peak incidence: in children, especially < 1 year of age, laryngospasm occurs twice as often as in adults (8-40/1,000 children).
The incidence (frequency of new cases) is approximately 0.1-4%.
Course and prognosis: Usually, a seizure lasts no longer than two minutes.
