This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Croup (comparison with acute epiglotittis)

Authoring team

feature

epiglottitis

croup

organism

H. influenzae

parainfluenza virus

age

generally 2-6 years old, may occur in older children and adults

generally less than 2 years old, may occur in children 6 months to 6 years

onset

rapid

gradual

site

supraglottic

subglottic

temperature

high fever

low grade fever

dysphagia

severe

absent (mild)

dispnoea

+++

variable

drooling

present

not present

stridor

inspiratory or expiratory

mainly inspiratory

lymph nodes

+++

+

cough

not common

barking cough

voice

muffled

hoarse

posture

sitting forward

lying down

behaviour

quiet; terrified

struggling

colour

grey

pink

X-ray

thumb sign (+)

steeple sign (+)

previous attack

none

may have had previous attack

Note :

  • thumb sign - enlarged round epiglottis which looks like a thumb print
  • steeple sign - see investigations (croup)

Reference:


Create an account to add page annotations

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.