I'm pretrty sure my DD has croup. Started with a bit of a cough early hours of this morning but different cough to when she has had a cold.
She went to bed at 6:30 and was up at 7pm because of her coughing. I have the room warm so no cold air. I;ve read that it will get worse later in the night. HOw much worse does it get before I might need to go to the hospital...if I do go will they be able to do anything.
I had DS at the hospital with croup a few nights ago. They gave him 2 doses of some steroid medicine & he was fine. He does have bronciolitis now though.
I think you should go get the meds maybe.
My DS just turned five and had croup for the fist time about a month ago. We took him to hospt in the middle of the night as he had difficulty breathing. Horrid.
Things to look out for are; 1) labouring to breath - you will notice it by if bubs is using the area under the lungs as well, it looks like the top of the tummy is working to breath too. 2) difficulty with talking, if bubs is struggling with breathing and voice gets hoarse and difficult that is because the airway is constricting. 3) change in colour or lethargic, obviously if that happens call 000.
What will happen when you go to hospt is they will assess your bub and if they see them struggling they will give a steroid based medicine. You can get it through a prescripeion too if you need. We have it at home now.
We were told to keep the room warm and dont bother with getting it steamy that has been proved not to help now. When we got back from hospt we co-slept with DS for a couple of nights as it usually gets worse on the second or third night and I wanted to feel him breathe.
My doc told me to call an ambulance if my DD got bad with croup so it wouldn't hurt to take her to the hossy and get it checked out. If it is croup they can get the steroids in and they get better pretty quickly. Better safe than sorry.
They will give you a medicone called Predmix and it works pretty quick. If they have that seal bark or they are pulling their throat or tummy in when they breathe they need a doc quickly
To help with symptms they need steam and I mean like walls dripping with condensation steam.
This from the Royal Children's Hospital Patinet Information Sheet.
Croup can be frightening, but it's the anatomy of their airway that leads itself to the bark when an infection sets in. We see many a frightened parent.
Croup
Croup is a viral infection of the throat (upper airway). The virus causes swelling of the voice box (larynx) and windpipe (trachea). This swelling makes the airway more narrow, so it is harder to breathe.
Croup often begins like a normal cold followed by a harsh, barking cough, described as "croupy". This often happens at night when the air is cooler.
It usually affects children up to 5 years old. Some children get croup many times. There is no way to prevent croup as it is caused by different viruses. There is no immunisation against croup.
Croup can get worse quickly. If your child is having problems breathing they should be seen by a doctor as soon as possible.
Signs and symptoms
-Croup often begins like a normal cold e.g. runny nose and cough.
-Then your child will get a harsh, barking, croupy sounding cough.
-Your child?s voice may be hoarse.
-They may have a noise when breathing in, called 'stridor'.
-The symptoms are usually worse at night and reach their worst on the second or third night.
-Croup may last for 3-4 days.
Treatment by a doctor
If your child?s croup attack is severe they will need to stay in hospital. Severe croup is when your child:
1.Has noisy breathing (stridor) when resting.
2.Muscles around the ribs suck in when breathing.
3.Is very distressed.
-Most children do not need any other specific treatment once they are being closely watched in hospital.
-Sometimes steroids (prednisolone) taken by mouth or by nebuliser (a light spray given with oxygen) are given to your child. The steroids help reduce the swelling in the airway. This makes breathing easier.
-Antibiotics do not work on viruses and are not given for croup. Care at home
A mild attack of croup is when your child has the barking cough but does not have noisy breathing (stridor) at rest or is not struggling to breathe. Mild croup can usually be managed at home with the following treatment.
-Try and calm your child as breathing is often more difficult when your child is upset.
-Try keeping your child calm by sitting quietly, reading a book or watching a video.
-If your child has a fever and is irritable give paracetamol (e.g. Panadol, Dymadon, Tempra).
-Croup often becomes worse at night, so your child may be more settled if someone stays with them. A note about "steam"
-In the past some doctors recommended exposure to mist or "steam" therapy, including the use of vaporisers.
-Research evidence now shows this to be of no benefit and it is no longer recommended.
-If your child's croup does not settle and they become more distressed they should be seen by a doctor.
When to come back
Your doctor will let you know when to come back for review.
You should see a doctor or come to an emergency department if:
-Your child's breastbone sucks in when breathing in.
-Your child is struggling to breathe.
-Your child has stridor (the noise made when breathing in) when at rest.
-You are worried for any other reason.
You should call an ambulance immediately if:
-Your child looks very sick and becomes pale and drowsy.
-Their lips are blue in colour.
Key points to remember
-There is no specific treatment for croup and it usually gets better in 3-4 days.
-Try and calm your child as breathing is often more difficult when your child is upset.
-Croup can get worse quickly. If your child is having problems breathing they should be seen by a doctor as soon as possible.
-In a severe attack your child needs to be watched closely in a hospital.
Other sources of information:?Your local doctor (GP)
-Your local hospital emergency or casualty department
-Royal Children's Hospital Emergency Department (03) 9345-6153
-Royal Children's Hospital General Medical Ward - 5th Floor (03) 9345-5559
Last edited by Visitor6; July 29th, 2009 at 09:16 AM.
Hun, maybe take a quick trip to your GP? My ds has had croup a couple of times, twice it's been treated with steroids on a script from GP, once at the ER. The steroids work quite literally within minutes.
If you *think* you might need to go to the ER, go!!! Much better to be safe than sorry.
Depending on how your night went, I'd head to the GP today. They can give you a script for prednisolone if needs be (usually either Predmix or Redipred). Croup is usually worse the second night, so your DD might need a bit of help.
Going between a steamy room and the cold night air is helpful. You find that most kids are much improved upon reaching hospital, simply from being out in the fresh air.
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Croup...what can I do?
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