Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
With treatment, less than 0.2% of children require endotracheal intubation. [14] Since croup is usually a viral disease, antibiotics are not used unless secondary bacterial infection is suspected. [2] The use of cough medicines, which usually contain dextromethorphan or guaifenesin, are also discouraged. [2]
Bacterial tracheitis is a rare complication of influenza infection. [4] It is the most serious in young children, possibly because of the relatively small size of the trachea that gets easily blocked by swelling. The most frequent sign is the rapid development of stridor. It is occasionally confused with croup. If it is inflamed, a condition ...
Epiglottitis is the inflammation of the epiglottis—the flap at the base of the tongue that prevents food entering the trachea (windpipe). [7] Symptoms are usually rapid in onset and include trouble swallowing which can result in drooling, changes to the voice, fever, and an increased breathing rate.
The omicron Covid variant appears to be leading to croup in young children under the age of 5. Doctors share what to know about kids, omicron and croup.
In children under five years and adults over 40 years, the fatality rate may be as much as 20%. [28] In 2013, it resulted in 3,300 deaths, down from 8,000 deaths in 1990. [ 7 ] Better standards of living, mass immunization, improved diagnosis, prompt treatment, and more effective health care have led to a decrease in cases worldwide.
The viruses have a tendency towards different complications: influenza is more likely to cause severe pneumonia in high-risk groups; parainfluenza is more likely to cause croup in children. Influenza has effective vaccines available and can be treated with antiviral medications like neuraminidase inhibitors.
Inspiratory stridor often occurs in children with croup. It may be indicative of serious airway obstruction from severe conditions such as epiglottitis, a foreign body lodged in the airway, or a laryngeal tumor. Stridor should always command attention to establish its cause.
Most commonly, infections occur with inflammation of other parts of the respiratory tract, such as the larynx and bronchi, known as croup, [11] [10] however bacterial infections may also affect the trachea alone, although they are often associated with a recent viral infection. [10] Viruses that cause croup are generally the parainfluenza ...