Croup

At Kids 1st Urgent Care, we understand how concerning it can be when your child is experiencing symptoms of croup. Our approach is designed to provide both effective medical treatment and compassionate support to make the experience as comfortable as possible for your child and your family. Our treatment approach aligns with the clinical pathways and guidelines from leading children's hospitals and pediatric institutions. This ensures that your child receives evidence-based care for croup that meets the highest standards of medical practice. At Kids 1st Urgent Care, our commitment is to provide exceptional care for your child while addressing their medical needs with compassion and expertise.

What is Croup?

Croup is a respiratory condition characterized by swelling in the airways, which can lead tobreathing difficulties. Children with croup often produce a seal barking like cough and a highpitched, creaking, or whistling sound when inhaling, known as stridor.

What Causes Croup?

Croup is most frequently caused by viral infections. Viruses known to cause croup include:

• Parainfluenza virus
• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
• Influenza virus
• Adenovirus
• Enteroviruses

The infection typically starts in the nose and progresses to the throat, causing swelling around thevoice box (larynx) and into the windpipe (trachea). Croup spreads through direct contact with aninfected person or their secretions.

Younger children are particularly susceptible to croup due to their smaller airways, where evenminor swelling can significantly impact breathing.

Facts About Croup

• Croup most commonly affects children aged 6 months to 3 years.
• The peak incidence occurs at around 2 years old.
• Croup is more prevalent during the winter months.

Symptoms of Croup

Symptoms can vary and may evolve as the disease progresses. Croup often begins like a common cold, with the following symptoms:

• Cough: Typically sounds like a "seal's bark."
• Laryngitis: Loss of voice or hoarseness.
• Stridor: A whistling sound during inhalation.
• Fever: May accompany other symptoms.

Symptoms are generally worse at night, often waking the child from sleep, and may improve in the morning but worsen as the day progresses. Most children recover within three to seven days. However, the symptoms of croup can sometimes be mistaken for other conditions or medical issues.

Treatment of Croup

Home Treatments for Croup

After diagnosis, your medical provider could recommend these strategies for home:

• Use a Cool Mist Humidifier: Helps moisten the airways and ease breathing.
• Take the Child into a Steamed Bathroom: Sitting in a bathroom filled with steam can soothe the airways.
• Expose to Cool, Moist Air: Use a Cool Mist Humidifier in warm climates or expose your child to cool night air in cold climates.
• Ensure Adequate Fluid Intake: Drinking plenty of fluids helps keep the throat hydrated.
• Treat Fever with Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen: Follow your child’s provider’s instructions.
• Keep the Child Calm and Quiet: Reducing stress and agitation can make breathing easier.

Oral Steroids:

• Primary Treatment: For most cases of croup, oral corticosteroids are the cornerstone of treatment. These medications, such as dexamethasone, are effective in reducing inflammation and swelling in the airways, thereby improving symptoms like stridor and cough.
• Administration: We provide oral steroids in a dosage appropriate for your child’s age and weight. This helps manage the inflammation and alleviate the respiratory distress associated with croup.
• Monitoring and Follow-Up: After administering oral steroids, we monitor your child’s response to treatment and provide guidance on ongoing care and symptom management at home.

Advanced Care and Transfer if Necessary When Advanced Treatment is Needed:

• Assessment of Severity: In cases where croup symptoms are severe or do not improve with oral steroids, additional treatments such as nebulized racemic epinephrine may be required. Racemic epinephrine is used to rapidly reduce airway swelling and improve breathing.
• Indications for Advanced Care: If your child exhibits severe stridor at rest, significant respiratory distress, or does not respond to initial treatments, we may recommend more advanced interventions.

Facilitating Transfer to Emergency Care:

• Coordination with Emergency Departments: Should your child need advanced treatments like nebulized racemic epinephrine, our providers are equipped to facilitate a smooth transfer to a specialized emergency department. We work closely with top emergency care facilities to ensure that your child receives the necessary care in a timely manner.
• Communication: We coordinate with the receiving emergency department to provide a comprehensive handover of your child’s medical history, current condition, and treatment administered. This ensures continuity of care and that the emergency team has all the information needed to proceed with advanced treatment.

Support and Guidance:

• Reassurance: We provide support and reassurance throughout the process, keeping you informed and addressing any concerns you may have about the transfer or treatment.

Child-Friendly Environment

Understanding that medical treatments can be stressful for children, all of our providers have been trained by our Child Life Specialists on how to approach your child in a friendly and compassionate manner. We strive to make the experience as stress-free as possible, with a child- centered environment and a caring staff that helps ease any anxiety.

Kids 1st Urgent Care sources its medical research from leading authorities in pediatric medicine, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and Texas Children’s Hospital.