Croup is an acute upper respiratory syndrome, typically viral in origin, that usually
is seen in children. A subset of the condition named “spasmodic (recurrent) croup”
may be an allergic reaction to viral antigens. In either case, the pathology is the
same, and the clinical presentations are similar. Croup is characterized by hoarseness,
a barky cough, inspiratory stridor, and varying degrees of respiratory distress.
1
Clinical manifestations are a direct result of the inflammation, edema, and consequent
narrowing of the tracheal walls, particularly in the subglottic area where the pediatric
upper airway is the narrowest. This condition is in effect a fixed airway obstruction.To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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References
References
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Article info
Footnotes
☆The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Julie Sohnly, RN, in reviewing the contents of this article and Janet Van Nest and Kirsten Rega in preparing it for submission.
Identification
Copyright
© 2004 Air Medical Journal Associates. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
