Croup

What is croup?

Croup is a condition that develops quickly in children and is usually caused by a viral infection in the upper airways that is localised in the throat and surrounding tissues. It is characterised by a barking cough.
It usually occurs in young children under five years of age, and in most cases clears up spontaneously in 24 to 48 hours.
Very rarely, croup is a sign of something much more serious, such as diphtheria.
How do you get croup?

The virus can either be transferred through airborne droplets produced by coughing and sneezing, or passed from one person to another by touch. From the hands, the virus may enter the mucous membrane of the eyes and nose.
Croup is usually caused by the parainfluenza virus, although there are many other possible viral causes. These include the RS virus, influenza virus type A, rhinovirus, adenovirus, and Coxsackie virus.
If a child has had croup before, it tends to recur when they have a cold. After the age of four to five years, these symptoms decrease in severity.
There may be an allergic element connected to the parainfluenza virus.
What are the signs of croup?

• A characteristic rough, barking cough.
  
• Hoarseness and noisy breathing.
  
• The symptoms often occur at night when the child has been lying down for a couple of hours.
  
• Fever.
  

What should one be especially aware of?

• The child becoming more tired.
  
• Difficulty breathing.
  
• Blueness around the mouth, nose, and nails.
  

Seek urgent medical help if any of these problems occur.
What can you do yourself?

• Calm the child as much as possible.
  
• Keep calm yourself. Obvious signs of uneasiness and anxiety will upset the child.
  
• Sit the child up, which will allow them to breathe more easily.
  
• Inhaling steam may lessen the symptoms - to create steam, try sitting the child in the bathroom with the hot tap running.
  
• Avoid heavy meals, since coughing may provoke vomiting.
  
• Encourage the child to drink plenty of fluids.
  
• If the child has a fever they should wear as few clothes as possible and not be put under warm bedclothes.
  

How does the doctor make a diagnosis?

• The diagnosis is made on the basis of the symptoms of the disease.
  
• If the doctor wants to know which micro-organism has caused the disease, a swab from the throat can be taken for examination.
  
• An X-ray may be needed, but only if the child is ill enough to need hospital admission.
  

Future prospects
Croup usually clears up without a problem in three to four days. However, the coughing may last some time longer. The disease usually gets worse at night when the child is lying down.
Additional problems that may be caused by croup include:

• severe breathing problems and lack of oxygen.
  
• blocking of the airways (obstruction). This is rarely seen, but is life-threatening.
  

How is croup treated?
Since the disease is a viral infection it cannot be treated with antibiotics.
Serious cases of croup result in admission to hospital where the patient will be given oxygen, corticosteroids and adrenaline by inhalation-treatment