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Show When Child! Has Croup 1 Croup is an illness which is prevalent during the winter months. ACCORDING to Bountiful pediatrician, Dr. Randy S. Reese, croup is a viral illness and it is rarely caused by bacteria. bac-teria. It is brought on by the para-influenza virus group and affects the trachea underneath the vocal cords. Croup most often occurs in children between the ages of six months to four or five years and is usually prevalent during the months of December, January, February and early March. Croup is often confused con-fused with pneumonia, sore throats and laryngitis. ALTHOUGH the croup virus does not go to the lungs, the patient develops "stridor" or a high-pitched respiratory sound in their breathing, giving it a raspy quality. Croup is commonly characterized by a "seal bark" cough. Croup usually comes on quickly. Usually about a half-hour half-hour after a child goes to bed, he or she will wake up with a husky cough that sounds like a bark. The raspy sound is usually usual-ly heard in patients late in the evening or after dark. However, Howev-er, in more stubborn cases, patients pa-tients may experience the distinctive dis-tinctive respiratory sound in the daytime. DR. DOUGLAS B. Nielsen, who also practices pediatric medicine in Bountiful, commented com-mented that croup runs its course which is about seven 10 it)L' ten days. He said that parents usually call a physician after the first night. He added that the second third and fourth nights are the most crucial because children ' can get into serious trouble V,0 very quickly if their airways !'No become inflamed. Doctors within the local area agree that " when children come down with croup, a physician should 1 be contacted. tSN THE GOAL of treatment by OF A a physician is to limit severe fro symptoms for the first three to four days. It is important to ilel note tht even with treatment ' iis. the virus is still present, as 3 '! there are no drugs available to ' kill the virus at this time. ' W Many physicians use a pre- ' snI: scription drug which is a ster- j oid that reduces swelling in the :iIor trachea. In most cases, two 110 large doses of the drug are 1 3i " given on the first day and three i smaller doses are given the '- next 'day: This is called J1 maintenance dose. " '-'-io s :;s n AS THE addition of cold air ' ';J. to the patient's environment helps shrink the croup in- ' flamed airway, many physicians physi-cians recommend the use of i cool mist humidifier. Many times in croup related u emergencies, physicians instruct in-struct parents to bundle tie , child warmly and drive them to ; J the doctor's office or to a bos- f' pital with the car windows ; . Put down so that the cod air can ' help the patient breathe better, i ? Parents should be aware ;j ; that there are several serious : illnesses which can be con- fused with croup. One of these illnesses is epiglottitis, abacte- ! rial infection of the fleshy tis- W sue located in the back portion of the throat at the entrance of , ' ace the windpipe. If the epiglottis )p H becomes inflamed and swells i) enough, it can block off the j ' at child's airway. "7' ' 'est D7 A CHILD has croup, be ot . - pu she is usually restless and ac-; n tive, coughing and moving pinj around. However, when a pa-; a p tient has epiglottitis, he ot she j. usually sits very still in a for-ward for-ward position, not wanting 5 of be cuddled. The patient also n runs a high fever and drools. -9 When epiglottitis is sus- s pected by a physician, the p -10 rents are generally told to take atl the child directly to a hospit- ... 01 al's surgery unit so that pro dures can be performed 10 open the patient's airway. .w ANOTHER illness which ;se 1 can be confused with croup is ;U bacterial tracheitis which is infection affecting the trac h It is accompanied by 1 bfl fever, persistent cough and thick greenish sputum. Physicians agree that the M most distinguishing thing 'l out croup is the respirao .fc noise. However, they rtrts that parents should call H physician at the first. croup for instructions in oni ' to avoid potential coral L ' tions. Parents should . watch theirchilda-nwhcn get sick and a barking cog . appears. If their lips W .', oriftheylkpalcmcolo 'j thcy appear ,0 be anxio j ..; arc sweating, it is ' ,p the doctor immediately ; the child directly'"3". 1j emergency room. BASICALLY croup h CE lasting side effects, some emergency ciw nirwnvs arc blocked. H . cr. crimp contaj. transmitted by couph; j ,J (hing and kissing. It can ,a . , transmitted by secrclnw ried on bottles, glasses orN tiers. A patient can -Jtl, again, even within the . j season. ji 1 |