Croup – Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

                                                                                         

Croup is a group of respiratory diseases that often affects infants and children under age 6. It is characterized by a barking cough; a whistling, obstructive sound (stridor) as the child breathes in; and hoarseness due to obstruction in the region of the larynx. It may be mild, moderate or severe, and severe cases, with breathing difficulty, can be fatal if not treated in a hospital

Signs and Symptoms of Croup

Croup is characterized by a loud cough that may sound like the barking of a seal and may be accompanied by fast or difficult breathing and sometimes a grunting noise or wheezing while breathing.

The classic sign of croup is a loud, harsh, barking cough — which often comes in bursts at night. Your child's breathing may be labored or noisy. Fever and a hoarse voice are common, too.

Signs of more serious croup include drawing in of the chest wall below and between the ribs, fast difficult breathing, agitation (or drowsiness as the child gets tired) and a blue tinge to the lips.

Causes of Croup

Viral croup is the most common. Other possible causes include bacteria, allergies, and inhaled irritants. Acid reflux from the stomach can trigger croup.

Croup is usually (75 percent of the time) caused by parainfluenza viruses, but RSV, measles, adenovirus, and influenza can all cause croup.

Diagnosis of Croup

Your GP will diagnose croup based on the sound of your child's cough, and the symptoms that are experienced around the same time as the cough, such as a hoarse voice, and difficulty breathing.

Treatment of Croup

Medical Treatment

Humidified oxygen or cool mist is usually given to children coming to the hospital with croup. This treatment helps to moisten secretions and inflamed tissues to open the airway and soothe irritation.

Mild croup can be managed at home. The symptoms of croup are often worse at night when the air is cooler. Humidification of the air is often recommended but there is no information to prove that it does benefit the symptoms of croup. In fact the risk of hot water or steam burns is potentially more dangerous for your child than the croup itself.

Heliox is a metabolically inert, nontoxic gas that is combined with oxygen. It has low viscosity and low specific gravity, which allows for greater laminar airflow through the respiratory tract. Helium decreases the force necessary to move the gas through the airways and decreases the mechanical work of respiratory muscles. Several trials of heliox have demonstrated no advantage over conventional modalities; however, other trials have shown it to be equally effective in moderate-to-severe croup when compared with racemic epinephrine. It has also been shown to improve symptoms in very severe croup that failed to improve with racemic epinephrine.

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