False croup how to treat Komarovsky. False croup in a child: symptoms, treatment and prevention

Despite the name - false croup in children - this disease is very real. Moreover, sometimes it is very dangerous and serious. It will be useful for parents to know by what symptoms children's croup is recognized and how to deal with it.

In some situations, croup in children can lead to asthma attacks.
Therefore, consulting a doctor when choosing a treatment method is mandatory!

Major disease in young children

Let's start with the fact that a separate diagnosis such as “croup” or “false croup” does not exist at all. Croup syndrome in children in most cases develops against the background. More specifically:

Croup in children is stenosing laryngitis (that is, a form of inflammation of the larynx in which the walls of the larynx sharply narrow, causing difficulty breathing and the threat of suffocation). Children's croup never develops on its own, but only against the background of an infectious disease.

In other words: if laryngitis in children can be caused by other reasons besides an infectious disease (for example, an allergy attack or a burn respiratory tract), then croup occurs only against the background of infection and nothing else.

Moreover, infections can be different: both viral (such as rubella, etc.) and bacterial (diphtheria, and others).

A few decades ago, croup was most often associated with an infection such as diphtheria. And then it was called by doctors the expression “true croup.” But in our time, thanks to mass vaccination of children, outbreaks of diphtheria (and, accordingly, diphtheria croup) have not been heard for a long time. In modern pediatrics, croup in most cases (more than 98% of cases among children) is diagnosed in children with ARVI. And accordingly, viral croup began to bear a second name - “false croup.” So there are still two different cereals:

• true (occurring extremely rarely and only during an outbreak of diphtheria);
• false croup in children (occurring against the background of ARVI, and most often against the background of parainfluenza).

In most cases, croup syndrome in children is provoked by the activity of the parainfluenza virus, to which adults practically do not react, but small children “catch” it very “willingly”. So most often the first croup in children’s lives (and there can be any number of them) occurs between the ages of six months and 2 years. That is, at the very period when the baby begins to actively communicate with other children on the playground, in the pool, in the nursery, etc.

Doctors noticed a pattern: the later in age a child experiences the first parainfluenza and, accordingly, the first croup, the more severe the disease.

The most obvious symptoms of false croup in children are temporary loss of voice,
coughing and difficulty breathing.

At the same time, with age, the child’s cereals gradually become less frequent and more easily tolerated. And not because the baby adapts to them or begins to develop some new immune protection, but simply because the older the child gets, the more he grows and internal organs. Including the larynx! And the wider the diameter of the larynx, the less likely it is to get laryngitis or croup.

Popular children's doctor, Dr. E. O. Komarovsky: “With the same inflammation of the larynx, with the same degree of swelling - where the child begins to choke and turn blue, the adult will simply scream more quietly.”

False croup in children: symptoms

The symptoms of croup, especially in young children, are always obvious - they can be easily recognized by any parent, no matter how far from medicine they may be. The combination of the following 4 symptoms gives a very high probability that you have croup:

• 1 In a child elevated temperature(and this is a sure sign of infection);
• 2 The baby has a barking cough;
• 3 There is a change in voice (or the voice disappears for a while);
• 4 The child has difficulty breathing (and it is difficult to inhale, but exhalation is always easy and free).

There is a fundamental difference in the symptoms of classic laryngitis and croup: with general symptoms (barking cough, signs of infection, hoarse voice), laryngitis never causes difficulty breathing. However, it is too early for parents to “relax” - it also happens that laryngitis is only the beginning of croup. For example, at first the baby showed signs of inflammation of the larynx, but was breathing freely, and a day later he began to choke while inhaling - this means that laryngitis gradually progressed to croup.

Why is it difficult for a child to breathe with false croup:

• due to swelling of the laryngeal mucosa;
• due to hypersecretion: a large amount of mucus accumulates in the respiratory tract in the larynx area (which, during inflammation, is “produced” in double volume);
• due to muscle spasm of the larynx (especially strong in conditions when the child is scared and in pain);

An important note: if you, as a parent, are encountering croup for the first time and do not yet know how to behave and what to do, then at every acute attack difficulty breathing (which most often occurs at night, during sleep), you should call your child for emergency help.

Features of the treatment of croup in children

• 1 Treatment of croup in children should begin with creating a comfortable and calm atmosphere for the child. The fact is that when the baby is worried, nervous, panicked or afraid, the risk of severe muscle spasm of the larynx (which can result in suffocation) increases many times over.
• 2 In addition to stress (which can provoke muscle spasm larynx) with croup, warm and dry air in the room where the child lives is extremely dangerous. Therefore (especially during an attack of difficulty breathing and waiting for an ambulance to arrive), it is necessary to provide the child with access to fresh, cool and moist air. Even if it’s frosty outside, open the windows and let fresh air into the room, after dressing your child warmly.

With croup, it is many times more beneficial for a sick baby to breathe frosty air while sitting at home in a fur hat than to breathe dry and hot air while walking around the apartment in only a diaper. For a child with croup who really has difficulty breathing, the optimal microclimate in the room is: temperature no higher than 18 ° C, humidity - 55-70%.

• 3 If you have croup, it is very important to drink plenty of fluids. Because than bigger baby drinks, the more liquid both blood and mucus become in his body. And if the mucus is liquid, then it will not accumulate into clots and clog the larynx.
• 4 At temperatures above 38° C, the child should be given antipyretic drugs - Paracetamol or Ibuprofen.
• 5 Since with false croup in children, the vocal cords “failure” for some time due to inflammatory process in the larynx, ideally they should be disturbed and strained as little as possible. To do this, the baby should maintain vocal rest for several days.
• 6 A tragic mistake made by many parents who barely hear it is an attempt to use expectorants. Any croup expectorant can lead to suffocation of a child. Namely: with croup, the larynx already barely allows a small amount of air to pass through, causing difficulty breathing and a barking cough. However, the very essence of cough expectorants is to further stimulate the production of sputum, that is, mucus. The narrow neck of the inflamed larynx simply cannot cope with such a “burden”, trying to cough up a large amount of phlegm, and will be clogged.
• 7 Another strict taboo for false croup in children is the use of steam inhalation. The reason for the prohibition is the same as when using mucolytics (expectorants): hot steam promotes the swelling of dried mucus crusts, increasing their size. And accordingly, causing the risk of blockage of the larynx.

Prevention of croup - better none than the wrong one

Parents of children must understand and believe that frequent cereals (despite the viral nature of their origin) have nothing to do with the weakened immune system and weakened state of health of the child.

False croup, oddly enough, affects physically strong and healthy children more often

This means that the prevention of croup is in no way connected with strengthening the immune system, especially with the help of any immunostimulants or immunomodulators.

Dr. E. O. Komarovsky: “Dear parents, please remember: you cannot prevent the occurrence of croup with any medicine, no pills!”

The only reasonable and effective prevention croup (like many other respiratory diseases in children) is the creation of comfortable, “healthy” everyday conditions for the child:

• normal climate in the house (cool and humid);
• an adequate wardrobe for the child (in any season - both winter and summer - it is extremely dangerous to overheat the baby);
• frequent walks in the fresh air;

False croup- This serious illness, which requires a lightning-fast reaction from parents and high-quality treatment. Exist different approaches to relieve attacks of croup - with or without the use of inhalations, with the use of hormonal drugs or without them. Below we will look at the view of this problem from the popular children's doctor E. O. Komarovsky.

Symptoms

It is not difficult to recognize false croup in children. The main thing is to carefully monitor changes in the child’s condition. It is especially important to observe the baby at the first signs of laryngitis and ARVI. There are 3 main symptoms of this syndrome:

1. Barking cough. The child coughs, making characteristic sounds. The cough is dry and painful.
2. Voice change. As a rule, the voice becomes lower, rougher and hoarse. The more advanced the stage of croup, the quieter the voice becomes. This is due to a decrease in the clearance in the larynx next to the vocal cords.
3. Labored breathing. With every inhalation and exhalation, extraneous noise appears. Breathing can be heard from a distance. Shortness of breath may occur even in calm state. It is worth noting that the baby experiences particular difficulties when inhaling.

Since false croup develops against the background of a cold infection, one should not forget about the accompanying symptoms - fever, body aches, headache, stuffy nose. Due to the fact that the child cannot fully inhale air, he may have an attack of panic and anxiety.

If left untreated, symptoms may worsen until asphyxia occurs.

Course of the disease

Often false croup begins with acute laryngitis. With laryngitis, children experience a hoarse voice, but breathing is not difficult. If you notice signs of laryngitis, be sure to consult with your pediatrician, because it is likely that by the evening your baby will have an attack of croup.

It is also important for parents to pay attention to the fact that the syndrome manifests itself to a greater extent at night. This means that the child may feel relatively well throughout the day, but may begin to choke and cough while sleeping.

False croup affects children more younger age. As a rule, the first attack occurs when the child first encounters the parainfluenza virus (1-2 years). Over time, this syndrome stops. After 10 years, the minimum number of attacks is recorded. It is young children who are susceptible to croup, since they have a specific structure of the larynx and there are prerequisites for a narrowing of the lumen in the throat.

What to do if you have difficulty breathing?

Doctor Komarovsky E. O. emphasizes Special attention on the fact that parents should call ambulance. This symptom poses a huge danger to the child. Qualified treatment and examination are needed for any manifestations of difficulty breathing. Even if it is not caused by false croup syndrome.

If you have difficulty breathing, expectorants should not be given under any circumstances. They increase the amount of mucus, but the child is unable to get rid of it, since he has a swollen larynx and a narrowed lumen. And self-medication for difficulty breathing is prohibited. All actions and manipulations must be carried out under the supervision of an experienced doctor.

How to treat?

The first thing parents should note during treatment is: emotional condition child. If the baby is very nervous and capricious, you need to provide him with complete peace.

The more nervous tension the patient experiences, the longer the spasm will last, which creates an additional obstacle to normal breathing. It is necessary to exclude any procedures that may create additional irritation. You should not put mustard plasters on your feet, steam your legs, force them to eat, etc.

Next, it is important to properly prepare the room in which the child is located. The room should be humid and cool. Only in such conditions will the mucus not thicken and it will be easier for it to come out. room in mandatory ventilate and install a humidifier. You can even place humidifiers next to your baby's bed so he can breathe in that cool mist. Dr. Komarovsky says that the room temperature should not be higher than 18°C, and the air humidity should not be lower than 50%. Ideally, this figure should be 70-75%.

It is highly not recommended to do hot inhalations. Hot steam can make the situation worse because it can cause the mucus to swell, making breathing even more difficult. Children with false croup should be given plenty of warm water. Lack of fluid in the body causes mucus to dry out.

In addition, it is important for children to clean associated symptoms. During treatment, you need to monitor the temperature and, if necessary, bring it down with paracetamol or ibuprofen. If children have a runny nose, they need to put vasoconstrictor drops in their nose.

If the treatment measures described above were taken on time, then an attack of croup in children passes quickly and without complications. Might not even be needed drug treatment. But you need to call a doctor and an ambulance in any case, especially if you are faced with the problem of difficulty breathing for the first time.

Video “False croup”

In this issue, a pediatrician invited to the “Grow Big” program will talk about false croup, its consequences and treatment features.

You can watch Komarovsky’s video on this topic (I just don’t understand how they treat it, other than observing climatic conditions)

False.- This viral disease upper respiratory tract. The infection causes inflammation, swelling and increased production of mucous discharge in the tracheal area in the subglottic space in the area of ​​the vocal cords. Usually the disease goes away on its own, however, 5–10% of children will still need hospitalization.

Croup most often develops in children aged 6 months and older. up to 6 years, which is associated with anatomical features tracheal structure in children of this age. The peak of the disease occurs between the ages of 1 and 2 years.
The most common pathogens that cause croup are parainfluenza viruses, influenza virus, adenovirus, RSV virus, rhinovirus, and measles virus.

The disease usually begins with a mild cold (not always with a fever), the appearance of a dry cough, which quickly becomes rough, “barking,” and difficulty breathing.

What to do at home before the doctor arrives?

The first and most important thing is to calm down yourself and calm the child. The child's excitement and crying intensify the cough, which, in turn, intensifies the manifestations of croup, forming a “vicious circle.”

Inhaling moist air greatly alleviates the child’s condition, so you need to take advantage of all possible ways for air humidification (air humidifiers, a wet towel and a bowl of water at the child’s bedside, a bathroom where you can let in steam, open the windows, go outside with the child, if the weather permits).

If a child has a high temperature, give an antipyretic in an age-appropriate dose.

With croup, a child loses fluid quite easily. Therefore, it is very important to give your child water all the time. It is better to give juices than milk. Drinking frequently thins mucus and prevents dehydration.

Usually the attack lasts 20-30 minutes, and, gradually, the child’s condition improves. If it still hasn’t improved, then let’s hope that the ambulance you called has already arrived, and now professionals will help the child.

How to prevent croup?

Unfortunately, croup is a viral disease, therefore, antibiotics do not work for it, therefore, their prescription is not justified, as with other viral infections.
Try to ensure that your child does not come into contact with patients suffering from any viral infections, follow the basic rules of hygiene, if there is a sick person in the house, if the child has an acute respiratory viral infection, try to give him water as often as possible.
Do not use aromatic oils as inhalations, because... they can cause severe irritation to a child's respiratory tract.
Do not smoke near your child, especially around a child who has a respiratory illness.

What is croup?
Croup is a common condition in children. It is sometimes called laryngotracheobronchitis. Croup is caused by a viral infection that causes swelling of the mucous membrane of the glottis and trachea. This swelling may cause difficulty breathing. Croup usually affects children under 5 years of age because they have a narrower and more delicate glottis and trachea. However, this disease can also occur in older children or adolescents. There is no way to prevent a child from getting croup. Antibiotics are not effective in treating croup as it is a viral disease.

What are the symptoms of croup?
Children with croup usually have the following symptoms:
Rough, barking cough (with a high-pitched sound)
Hoarseness of voice
Noisy breathing called stridor (breathing in with a rough, high-pitched sound)
Before the onset of croup, children often have other signs of a cold, such as fever, runny nose and sore throat. Symptoms of croup can last up to 7 days, usually worsening at night.

What should I do at home?
After being examined by a doctor, most children can be left at home and treated on an outpatient basis.
Calm the child
Make yourself comfortable, just the way your baby likes it
Read your favorite book or watch a video with him
Physical and emotional rest is important as stress can cause symptoms to worsen
Offer your child small amounts of water regularly
If the child is breastfeeding, then offer your breasts more often
Steam inhalations or humidification are usually ineffective. Moreover, inhaling hot steam (over freshly boiled potatoes, etc.) can cause a burn to the respiratory tract, so hot inhalations are unacceptable.

When should I take my child to the doctor?
If your child has symptoms of croup and you are concerned, call your local pediatrician. The doctor will assess the child’s condition and prescribe the necessary therapy. If your child has congenital anomalies or chronic diseases respiratory tract, you should take your child to the doctor at the first sign of croup.
You should take your child to the doctor within the next few hours if he:
Has stridor (rough breathing with whistling sounds, audible at a distance) during quiet breathing: during sleep, during sedentary play, etc.
Appears gaunt, pale, overly agitated and fearful
It has high fever
Unable to swallow saliva, spits it out
Refuses to drink for 12-24 hours

When should I call an ambulance?

You should IMMEDIATELY Call an ambulance if:
The child has difficulty breathing
The child became lethargic and passive; overly excited, experiencing panic fear or is confused
The child’s face and lips have become cyanotic (blue, purple in color) or excessively pale

Medication assistance and child care.
Treatment for a child with croup mainly focuses on making breathing easier.
The doctor will assess the child’s condition and the degree of difficulty breathing
For some children with croup, the doctor will prescribe a medicine called prednisolone. This will help reduce swelling in your baby's airways and make breathing easier.
For a child with severe croup, the doctor may prescribe adrenaline. Adrenaline is administered by inhalation, while breathing through a special mask, usually along with oxygen. It reduces swelling and narrowing of the glottis and trachea.
After this therapy, most children feel significant improvement and can be sent home after a few hours of observation.
Less commonly, hospitalization and longer therapy may be required, usually for 1-2 days.
Your child can be sent home once his breathing improves and the doctor is no longer concerned about his condition.

Remember the most important points:
Croup is frequent illness in children
If the child's condition causes you concern, he should be examined by a pediatrician
Symptoms of croup can last up to 1 week, and are often worse at night
Call an ambulance immediately if your child has difficulty breathing
If after a doctor’s visit the symptoms of croup continue to increase, call an ambulance; the child will probably need hospitalization.

Most often, doctors diagnose false croup that appears against the background of influenza, measles, or even a common acute respiratory infection. And since children get sick very often, pathological narrowing of the throat is not uncommon for them. In addition, false croup can be caused by tuberculosis, typhoid fever, in rare cases - herpes.

Common croup is a complication of diphtheria, which, as is known, is difficult to treat, so the first task of a physician when diagnosing pathologies is to identify the true cause of its occurrence.

Risk area

Children under three years of age have a special structure respiratory system- narrow lumen of the larynx according to age and loose submucosal layer. As a result, during the inflammatory process, swelling forms, developing into laryngeal stenosis. With age, the natural lumen expands, the vocal cords lengthen, the tissues become less loose and more elastic, eliminating the risk factor.

Also at risk are children living in areas with polluted ecology and having various pathological diseases, such as rickets, diathesis, allergies, neuralgia pathologies, etc.

Symptoms

The main symptoms of the development of false or regular croup in a child include:

• increase in body temperature up to 39 degrees, especially at night
• presence of nasal discharge
• barking cough
• noises while breathing
• labored breathing
• hissing or wheezing.

If the baby is placed in a cool room with high humidity, the symptoms will be less pronounced.

• "barking" cough transition to silent
• unnatural paleness of the skin is noted
• putrid breath
• at self-examination You may notice that a gray coating has formed on the tonsils.

If such signs of the disease are noticed in a child, it is necessary to urgently consult a doctor, since laryngeal stenosis caused by diphtheria can develop very quickly and will lead the sick person to fatal outcome.

First aid

Every parent must understand that it is simply impossible to cope with laryngeal stenosis on their own, therefore, when the first signs of croup appear, the baby should be taken to the hospital or call an ambulance. You can alleviate the child’s condition before providing professional help using the following methods:

• Calm the baby, because crying only increases the manifestation of stenosis
• If the child is lying in bed, then place more pillows under his back to ensure a semi-sitting position.
• Prepare a 2% soda solution and give it to the sick person to drink - this will prevent dry mucous membranes and help remove phlegm from the body. In the case of very young children, you can add alkaline mineral water into milk or formula
• Ventilate the room well and humidify the air. If you don’t have a special device at home, wet towels or pieces of fabric and hang them around the room
• To stop a runny nose, use vasoconstrictor drops.

As a preventive measure, give the following: medicines according to the instructions for use:

• at high temperature antipyretic
• antispasmodic to relax the larynx and ease breathing
• antiallergic drug to eliminate swelling.

Contraindications

If your child has laryngeal stenosis, under no circumstances should you:

• give cough medicine
• rub the back or sternum
• put mustard plasters, warm them up, wrap them in a warm room
• use for treatment products that can cause or intensify an allergic reaction.

Many doctors recommend using inhalations to moisturize the mucous membranes. mineral water. Parents should understand that such a treatment measure is allowed only with the use of a nebulizer. Inhalations using the “old-fashioned” method for stenosis are strictly prohibited.

Treatment

When diagnosing croup in a child, comprehensive treatment must be prescribed, including the use of:

IN difficult cases the disease is treated in a hospital setting under the constant supervision of doctors. If the larynx is severely blocked, then intubation and tracheostomy should be performed.

If there is a suspicion that a child is developing croup, there is no need to wait for the symptom will go away on its own - you must immediately consult a doctor for help, otherwise the baby may simply suffocate. The sooner treatment is started, the higher the likelihood of recovery. With possibilities modern medicine croup in children rarely leads to death if timely assistance is provided.

It is well known that children in the first years of life are susceptible to many diseases, since their immunity cannot fully resist pathogenic viruses and bacteria. Most often, young children suffer from infectious diseases: measles, diphtheria, laryngitis, croup. At the same time, croup is considered one of the most severe conditions in children in the first years of life. Therefore, we decided to consider this disease in children in more detail. How to distinguish true croup from false? Is it possible to independently recognize the disease in a child? What to do if signs of croup appear in infants? We will try to answer these and many other questions in our article today.

Croup is acute subglottic laryngitis. With this disease, viral infections such as influenza, diphtheria, measles cause swelling and inflammation of the loose fatty tissue located under the vocal folds in the child. The danger of measles is explained by the fact that tissue swelling causes a narrowing of the lumen of the larynx and difficulty breathing. If you do not provide your child with timely medical care, then he may develop asphyxia - suffocation.

Most often, croup occurs in children whose immunity is severely weakened, as well as in children prone to allergic reactions who were born prematurely and suffered birth injuries.

True and false croup in children: symptoms

Fortunately, true croup is relatively rare today due to the decreasing prevalence of diphtheria. However, isolated cases of the disease are still recorded. Alone or in combination with a throat infection, young children may develop laryngeal diphtheria. This condition is called true croup. Membranous fibrous deposits spread to the mucous membrane of the larynx, which can subsequently lead to muscle spasm and asphyxia.

The signs of this pathology intensify quite quickly. If at first you only notice hoarseness in the baby, then after a few hours the child completely loses his voice. A disorder of the breathing process is most often observed at the end of the first - at the beginning of the second week of diphtheria. Even from a distance you can hear the child breathing heavily. In addition, he may develop an attack of suffocation, in which the baby turns blue, and he experiences a drop in cardiac performance. True croup in children is severe and often requires surgical intervention, therefore, if all these symptoms are present, it is necessary to act without delay.

As for false croup, this form of the disease is characterized quickly developing edema mucous membrane of the larynx. The cause of the disease can be various viral bacteria of the upper respiratory tract, as well as chemical or thermal burn larynx. Edema is rarely accompanied by muscle spasm in the respiratory organs, but this disease can also cause asphyxia if you do not consult a doctor in time.

It is also important to note the fact that with false croup the child suddenly finds it difficult to breathe. In addition, shortness of breath, “barking” cough, anxiety, and fear are noted. With this form of pathology, the child rarely loses his voice. As for an attack of suffocation, it can last about three to four hours, and relapse is quite possible.

So, general symptoms Early development of croup in a child results in breathing problems that can quickly progress to life-threatening symptoms. Signs of a serious problem include:

• swallowing disorder;
• incessant drooling;
• bluish color of skin or lips;
• sucking movements of the chest;
• fast breathing (80 breaths per minute).

As soon as you notice certain symptoms of false croup, immediately call emergency doctors to save the life of your child.

Is croup contagious and how is it transmitted in children?

Croup, or laryngotracheitis, acute laryngitis - infection, which is usually transmitted by airborne droplets. Therefore, this disease is contagious. After infected air enters the child's lungs, symptoms of croup develop within 2-3 days. In this case, the infection can persist for several days on doors, furniture, toys and other household items.

If your child complains of a sore throat, has a hoarse voice, or develops a dry “barking” cough that gets worse at night, then you must isolate the baby from other children and immediately seek help from a doctor. Note that with croup, a child’s cough is accompanied by fever; wheezing. Infants with croup are irritable, lethargic, and have poor appetite. All of the above symptoms may indicate that your child has contracted croup.

Croup in children: treatment

The first thing parents should do before the doctor arrives is to calm and console the child. Unnecessary worries and fear can worsen the baby’s breathing. Very important on initial stage illness isolate the child. To make breathing easier, place your baby close to warm steam or a humidifier. Also, during attacks with breathing problems, you can let the child breathe moist air in the bathroom. To do this, you need to open the tap hot water and wait until the bathroom is filled with steam. You can breathe this air for 10-15 minutes.

If coughing or breathing problems worsen at night, you can take the child out to the balcony so that the baby can breathe fresh air. In addition, to avoid blockage of the nasal cavity by mucus, it is recommended that children with symptoms of croup take nasal drops. brine- 1 teaspoon per 250 ml of water.

Decongestants and medications may be effective for cough suppression. But they should be prescribed by a doctor, since some combinations of cough and cold medications can only aggravate the baby’s painful condition. Especially if they contain dextromethorphan and diphenhydramine (Benadryl).

Drugs such as Acetaminophen (Tylenol, Panadol) and ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) are effective for pain and fever. It is important to note that aspirin is excluded in the treatment of croup, laryngotracheitis, acute laryngitis and other viral diseases, as are some corticosteroids. Therefore, you cannot self-medicate in such a situation. It is better to give the child warm water, tea or milk, and when the doctor arrives, strictly follow his recommendations.

If the doctor notices swelling of the larynx that has begun, he will require immediate hospitalization of the child. This condition is fraught with the development of asphyxia, so sometimes, to make breathing easier, children undergo a small operation consisting of cutting the trachea and inserting a special tube into the lumen. This will ensure the baby gets air into the lungs and prevent death.

Conservative treatment is possible in the initial stages of the disease. In case of true croup, the child is administered anti-diphtheria serum according to the Bezredko method. As for antibiotics, erythromycin or penicillin drugs, playing an auxiliary role in treatment. In the treatment of false croup, antihistamines, adrenaline solution, glucocorticosteroids, and inhalation of saline are used.

Croup in children under one year of age: emergency care

It should be noted that attacks of croup in one year old child and children under one year old usually appear in the evening and at night. The baby becomes restless, pulls down the collar of his pajamas, and tosses and turns. An attack of dry cough occurs, the child breathes noisily and heavily. With massive swelling of the larynx, signs of oxygen deficiency appear: lethargy, pale skin, bluish lips, confusion and loss of consciousness. In such a situation, you must adhere to the following algorithm of actions:

1. Call an ambulance.
2. Before the doctors arrive, try to calm the baby, as crying and overexcitement worsen the cough.
3. Place the child in bed on a pillow so that top part the body was on an elevated position.
4. Give him a warm alkaline drink (milk with Borjomi or 2% soda solution) - this will thin the mucus and moisturize the mucous membranes. You can also do inhalation with saline solution or mineral water. A nebulizer is good for this.
5. Open a window in the room where the child is, humidify the air with a humidifier or hang wet towels. You can take the baby out to the balcony, wrapping it in a blanket.
6. Place any vasoconstrictor drops into the nasal passages or allow them to breathe in the solution through a nebulizer.
7. You can give your baby the following dosages: antihistamines(Fenistil, Eden) to relieve swelling of the mucous membrane; No-shpu to reduce laryngeal spasm; antipyretic drugs (Nurofen, Panadol) for fever.

We draw your attention to what you absolutely cannot do during an attack of croup in children:

• give antitussive drugs without a doctor’s prescription;
• put mustard plasters, carry out rubbing;
• use homemade inhalers;
• give allergic foods - citrus fruits, honey, raspberry jam.

Do not leave the baby alone in the room, stay close to him at all times, and when the ambulance arrives, follow all the doctors’ instructions. Then everything will be fine!

Viral croup in a child: Komarovsky

The famous pediatrician - Evgeny Borisovich Komarovsky - in his television programs talks in detail about how to distinguish ordinary laryngitis from viral croup in children, and what to do in such a situation.

So, laryngitis is a complication of a viral infection that occurs in the larynx in the place where the vocal cords are located. But inflammation of the larynx can be so severe that its lumen becomes much narrower. When does narrowing of the larynx occur? infectious diseases, then this condition is called croup. That is, croup differs from laryngitis in that in the first variant there is a narrowing of the larynx and, therefore, difficulty breathing, but with laryngitis this does not happen. However, any viral infection in the respiratory tract area should be alert children's pediatrician, since the accumulation of mucus at night can lead to the development of croup. That is why, in case of laryngitis and other infectious diseases of the upper respiratory tract, it is necessary to regularly moisten the baby’s room (ventilation, wet cleaning) in order to prevent the accumulation of mucus and narrowing of the larynx. If croup does appear, then in such a situation it is necessary to provide the child with first aid in a timely manner.

Especially for - Nadezhda Vitvitskaya