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Croup (/ k r uː p / KROOP), also known as croupy cough, is a type of respiratory infection that is usually caused by a virus. [2] The infection leads to swelling inside the trachea, which interferes with normal breathing and produces the classic symptoms of "barking/brassy" cough, inspiratory stridor and a hoarse voice. [2]
About 10% to 30% of children under the age of two years are affected by bronchiolitis at some point in time. [1] [2] It commonly occurs in the winter season in the Northern Hemisphere. [1] It is the leading cause of hospitalizations in those less than one year of age in the United States.
A lot of different things can cause a cough. But coughs are usually broken down into two main categories: acute and chronic. Acute coughs are ones that come on suddenly, usually due to an illness.
"This causes recurrent episodes of coughing, wheezing, and chest tightness," says Dr. Laura Conrad, director of the Pediatric Asthma Center at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in New York.
In very young infants under six weeks of age, especially premature infants, signs of infection may be less specific. They may have minimal respiratory involvement. Instead, they may exhibit decreased activity, irritability, poor feeding, or breathing difficulties. This can also be accompanied by apneic spells, or brief pauses in breathing. [4] [23]
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.
Haemophilus influenzae is still the primary cause even with vaccinations. Also Streptococcus pyogenes can cause epiglottitis. Symptoms include drooling, stridor, difficulty breathing and swallowing, and a hoarse voice. [11] Croup (Laryngotracheobronchitis) is a viral infection of the vocal cords typically lasting five to six days.
The causes of upper airway obstructions can be acute or chronic. Acute causes of upper airway obstruction include foreign body aspiration, blunt trauma to the neck, infection, and swelling due to allergies or other inflammatory conditions. [3] In children, viral infections such as croup or epiglottitis are frequent causes. [4]