CHAPTER 118 ■ ENT EMERGENCIES JOEL D HUDGINS, GI SOO LEE GOALS OF EMERGENCY CARE The ear, nose, and throat are common sites for infection and neoplasms and may be the sources of acute pain Although the diseases prompting the emergency department (ED) visit may be distressing to the patient and cause considerable anxiety for the parents, they are rarely life threatening The goals of care include rapid recognition of the rare surgical and infectious emergencies and obtaining a thorough evaluation KEY POINTS New trends in treatment of otitis media center around the age of the patient and the severity of illness Empiric treatment with antibiotics is not always warranted as this process is often self-resolving and rarely leads to complications Intracranial complications of sinusitis are associated with fever, headache, vomiting, and change in mental status Computed tomography (CT) scans with contrast are the diagnostic test of choice to diagnose a retropharyngeal abscess Life-threatening etiologies of vertigo are commonly associated with hearing loss RELATED CHAPTERS