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Medical Author:

John Mersch, MD, FAAP

John Mersch, MD, FAAP

Dr. Mersch received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, San Diego, and prior to entering the University Of Southern California School Of Medicine, was a graduate student (attaining PhD candidate status) in Experimental Pathology at USC. He attended internship and residency at Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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In this Article

• Croup facts
• What is croup? What causes croup?
• Is croup contagious?
• What are croup symptoms?
• What is the treatment for croup?
• What warning signs should parents look for with croup?
• Patient Comments: Croup - Treatments
• Patient Comments: Croup - Symptoms
• Find a local Pediatrician in your town
• Croup Index

The major concern in croup is the accompanying breathing difficulties as the upper airway narrows. Close monitoring of the child's breathing is important. The child should be especially observed at night or when napping for breathing difficulty. The doctor should be notified if the child is having progressive breathing difficulty, unusual drooling, agitation, or restlessness, fever over 103 F, or if the parent feels frightened!

The breathing difficulties seen in croup can progress rapidly, turning into a life-threatening emergency. Rarely, a child must be rushed by ambulance into the emergency room because of serious breathing problems. Signs of serious trouble include swallowing difficulty, nonstop drooling, bluish discoloration of the skin or lips, sucking in of the chest, and rapid breathing (over 80 breaths per minute).

While most children recover from croup without hospitalization, some children can develop life-threatening breathing difficulties. Therefore, close contact with the doctor during this illness is important.

REFERENCE:

Woods, Charles R. "Patient Information: Croup in Infants and Children." UptoDate.com. Aug. 18, 2010. <http://www.uptodate.com/patients/content/topic.do?topicKey=~IJIXh1W5371lMy>.