Croup - Treatment

HOME TREATMENT

Humidifier.*

  • Run a humidifier in the child’s room.
  • Cool mist humidifiers are safer to use than the steam vaporizers.
  • Humidifiers must be kept clean and if possibe, use distilled water.

Steamy bathroom.

  • If the child is having frequent croupy cough or becoming stridorous and has constant noisy breathing, take him into the bathroom and run a hot shower.
  • Sit in the steamy bathroom ( NOT under shower ) with him for 10 to 20 minutes.
  • Another alternative is to bundle your child up and take him outside in the cool night air if the episode is occurring at night.

The following note about "steam" treatment is noted from the RCH website

*A note about "steam"

  • In the past some doctors recommended exposure to mist or "steam" therapy, including the use of vaporisers.
  • Research evidence now shows this to be of no benefit and it is no longer recommended.

GCVMS clinical experiences however showed that the majority of croup cases seen in our home visits respond positively to "steam" therapy. The RCH advice is probably biased to patients who presented to their hospital after "failed steam therapy."

Medicines

  • Antibiotics do not treat viral croup, although secondary infections which may accompany croup, such as an ear infection, pneumonia or strep throat do need antibiotics.
  • Bacterial tracheitis  require antibiotics, but these children are usually hospitalized.
  • Paracetamol or Ibuprofen may be used for fever.
  • Over-the-counter cough medicines are usually not very helpful for croup.
  • If a child is having frequent  breathing difficulty, the  doctor may prescribe oral  steroids
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