Croup

Common cause of acute respiratory distress in children.

Acute onset of seal-like barky cough, in moderate to severe cases accompanied by stridor and sternal/intercostal indrawing.

Careful history and physical exam sufficient for confirming clinical diagnosis and ruling out potentially serious differentials.

Orally administered corticosteroids are the mainstay for all levels of severity, combined with nebulized epinephrine in moderate to severe croup to provide temporary relief of the symptoms of upper-airway obstruction.

Croup, also known as laryngotracheobronchitis, is a common respiratory disease of childhood, characterized by the sudden onset of a seal-like barky cough, often accompanied by stridor, voice hoarseness, and respiratory distress. The symptoms are a result of upper-airway obstruction due to generalized inflammation of the airways, as a result of viral infection (typically parainfluenza virus types 1 or 3).