Croup
Alternate Names : Laryngotracheobronchitis - Acute, Spasmodic Croup, Viral Croup
DefinitionCroup is breathing difficulty that is accompanied by a "barking" cough. Croup is common in infants and children and can have a variety of causes. Viral croup is the most common.
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Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors
The word croup comes from an old Germanic word for the voice box and refers to swelling around the larynx or vocal cords. Viruses, bacteria, allergies, or inhaled foreign bodies can cause croup. Acid reflux from the stomach can trigger croup.
Croup is usually (75 percent of the time) caused by parainfluenza viruses, but RSV, measles, adenovirus, andinfluenzacan all cause croup.
Before the era of immunizations and antibiotics, croup was a dreaded and deadly disease, usually caused by the diphtheria bacteria. Today, most cases of croup are mild. Nevertheless, it can still be a dangerous disease.
Croup tends to appear in children between 3 months and five years old , but it can happen at any age. Some children are prone to croup and may get it several times.
In the Northern hemisphere, it is most common between October and March, but can occur at any time of the year.
In severe cases of croup, there may also be a bacterial super-infection of the upper airway. This condition is called bacterial tracheitis and requires hospitalization and intravenous antibiotics. If the epiglottis becomes infected, the entire windpipe can swell shut, a potentially fatal condition called epiglottitis. |
