Croup
Noisy difficult breathing, hoarseness, and stridor are common signs of croup, a distressing condition that is usually viral in origin. Treatment is supportive; the condition is usually self-limiting and resolves in 2-4 days if uncomplicated, but severe cases may require endotracheal intubation or tracheostomy. Acute epiglottitis is a much less common, but much more dangerous, cause of croup caused by infection with Haemophilus influenzae type b; it can occur in adults as WELL as in children. There is systemic illness as well as local respiratory difficulty, and the swollen oedematous epiglottis can cause complete airways obstruction with dramatic suddenness. It is this complication that makes acute epiglottitis such a life-threatening condition. Treatment is as much concerned with maintaining the airways as with controlling the infection.
If breathing difficulty is present in a patient with croup, urgent referral to hospital is mandatory and attempts to examine the throat should be avoided.