Further Reading

WHAT IS CROUP?

by Katie M. Bell, RPA-C

A: Croup is a common viral illness seen in the pediatric population most commonly causing a “barky cough”. Children between the ages of 6 months and 3 years are the most likely to come down with croup. Croup is a virus that often starts as a cold and then infects the voice box and windpipe subsequently causing the classic barky cough and occasionally difficulty breathing.

The most common sign and symptom of croup is the barky cough. Some children will also have a fever ranging from 100-104 degrees. Other mild symptoms of croup are hoarse voice, nasal congestion, and noisy breathing. In severe cases, a child may begin to gasp for air or have trouble breathing.

Croup will often wake children up from a sound sleep in the middle of the night. If the child isn’t having trouble breathing then there are a few things you can try at home. You may try sitting in a bathroom full of hot steam for 15-20 minutes. If steam doesn’t work, you should bundle the child up and go outdoors for a few minutes. It may also be a good idea to run a cool-mist humidifier in the child’s room for a few nights.

Sometimes, croup can be so severe that you cannot treat it at home. It may be necessary to call 911 right away if your child can’t speak because lack of breath, makes a whistling sound when breathing (also known as stridor), is drooling a lot because they can’t swallow their saliva, or have a bluish color around their mouth or on nail beds.

There is no true treatment to cure croup, but sometimes the doctor may prescribe steroids as they reduce the swelling in the throat. Antibiotics do not help as croup is almost always caused by a virus.