Improving croup management at a pediatric emergency department.

OBJECTIVES: Over-testing and over-treatment are common in children with croup at pediatric emergency departments (PED). The objective of the study was to improve care for children with croup. METHODS: In this quality improvement (QI) initiative, all pediatric residents starting their rotation in the PED attended an informative presentation about croup and were provided reminders throughout their rotation. The primary outcome of this QI initiative was to reduce nebulized epinephrine (NE) use among children with mild croup by 50% over 7 months. The secondary outcome was to reduce X-rays by 50% over 7 months. Other outcomes included the administration of dexamethasone to all children with croup, reduction of antibiotics, laboratory tests, and revisits, and shortening the duration between physical examination to dexamethasone and NE treatments, and the length of stay (LOS) at the PED. RESULTS: NE administration to patients with mild croup decreased from 80.2% to 36.3% (p < 0.001). The proportion of children with X-rays decreased from 37.4% to 17.1% (p < 0.001). There was a significant increase in dexamethasone administration, and significant decreases in laboratory blood tests, expanded viral PCR panel tests, and antibiotic prescription among all croup cases (p < 0.001). Revisit rates were not significantly different (p > 0.05). Time to dexamethasone and LOS shortened significantly (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: With this QI intervention, decreases in the rate of administration of NE to mild croup cases, antibiotic prescription, X-ray, laboratory blood and respiratory PCR panel tests in all croup cases were achieved without an increase in revisits. However, unnecessary NE, antibiotic, and X-ray rates are still high.

Triple endoscopy and recurrent croup in children: A single aerodigestive center experience.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the utility of triple endoscopy (combined direct laryngoscopy, bronchoscopy (DLB), flexible bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage (FB + BAL), and esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD)) in the diagnosis and management of patients with recurrent croup (RC), and to identify predictors of endoscopic findings METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed of pediatric patients (age <18 years) with RC evaluated by triple endoscopy at a tertiary care pediatric hospital from 2010 to 2021. Data including presenting symptoms, airway findings, BAL and EGD with biopsy findings were collected. RESULTS: 42 patients with RC underwent triple endoscopy were included. The mean age was 4.55±2.84 years old. The most common symptom was chronic cough among 19 (45%) patients, while 23 (55%) patients had gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. Airway findings included tracheomalacia in 19, laryngeal cleft in 17, and subglottic stenosis in 11 patients. On EGD with biopsy, abnormal gross findings were present in 6 and abnormal microscopic findings in 18 patients, including 6 with histologic findings suggestive of gastroesophageal reflux and 5 with eosinophilic esophagitis. Seventeen (40%) patients had positive culture on BAL. No findings in patient histories significantly predicted presence of lower airway malacia, subglottic stenosis, or abnormal EGD findings. CONCLUSIONS: Children with recurrent croup presenting to aerodigestive centers may not have any pertinent presenting symptoms that correlate with significant findings on triple endoscopy. Further work is needed to determine which children with recurrent croup may benefit from aerodigestive evaluation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3.

Clinical Presentation of Pediatric Recurrent Croup: Implications for Diagnosis.

Recurrent croup is a common clinical entity afflicting the pediatric population, but is not well-characterized in the literature. We describe the largest series of recurrent croup in North America from a single tertiary care academic center, and differentiate subpopulations based on demographic characteristics and clinical presentation. We identified 114 patients for inclusion. Common symptoms included barky cough (86.0%) and inspiratory stridor (60.5%). Many (26.3%) experienced full symptom resolution within a day, and 41.2% reported onset of symptoms at any time of the day. Male patients had a higher number of prior croup episodes at presentation compared with female patients (mean of 9.8 ± 8.0 in males vs 6.6 ± 4.8 in females, P = .03). On multivariate regression, racial/ethnic minority patients were at higher risk for dyspnea (odds ratio [OR]: 58.6; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.2-475.4) and upper respiratory infection prodrome (OR: 7.6; 95% CI: 1.6-35.3) compared with non-Hispanic white patients.

Prophylactic inhaled corticosteroids for the management of recurrent croup.

OBJECTIVES: Croup is characterized by a barky cough, inspiratory stridor, hoarseness and varying degrees of respiratory distress. Acute croup episodes are often treated with oral, inhaled, or intravenous corticosteroids. Recurrent croup, defined as more than 2-3 episodes of acute croup in the same patient, can mimic asthma. We hypothesized that inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) given at the first sign of a respiratory viral prodrome can be a safe treatment to reduce the frequency of recurrent croup episodes in children without fixed airway lesions. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of patients being treated over an 18-month period was performed at a large tertiary care pediatric hospital following Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. Patients under 21 years old referred to Pediatric Pulmonology, Otolaryngology, or Gastroenterology for recurrent croup were analyzed for their demographics, medical history, evaluation, treatment and clinical improvement. A Fisher's two-tailed exact test was used to compare the number of croup episodes before and after interventions. RESULTS: 124 patients were included in our analysis: 87 male and 34 female with a mean age of 54 months. Of these, 78 had >5 episodes of croup, 45 had 3-5, and 3 had 2 episodes prior to their first visit for recurrent croup. Operative direct laryngoscopy/bronchoscopy was performed in 35 patients (27.8%), with 60% showing a normal exam without fixed lesions. Ninety-two patients (74.2%) were treated with ICS, 24 were lost to follow up. Of the remaining 68 treated patients, 59 (86.7%) saw improvement with reduced severity and overall number of episodes of croup. Additionally, patients with >5 episodes of croup (47) as compared to <5 (12) were more likely to improve with ICS, (p = 0.003). There were no adverse reactions reported with ICS treatment. CONCLUSION: The novel initiation of ICS at the earliest sign of a viral upper respiratory infection shows promise as a safe preventative treatment to mitigate the frequency of recurrent croup episodes.

When Stridor is Not Croup: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND: Croup is one of the most common causes of acute respiratory disorder in children. It presents as acute laryngeal symptoms in the context of viral infection. Treatment consists of systemic steroids and aerosolized adrenaline, after which the symptoms must resolve rapidly. There are many differential diagnoses, including neurological causes. In these cases, clinical presentation is atypical and the outcome can be less favorable. CASE REPORT: We present the cases of three children who presented with stridor, which was initially treated as croup but eventually turned out to have a neurological origin. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Clinicians need to be aware of the differential diagnoses of croup. We suggest a few key points to help emergency physicians manage these patients, including adequate use of monitoring and nasofibroscopy. Early identification is a key element in the effective management of certain rapidly progressive neurological diseases.

Prediction Model for Croup Admission Need.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to generate a predictive model stratifying the probability of requiring hospitalization and inpatient respiratory intervention for croup patients presenting to the emergency department (ED), and secondarily to compare the model's performance with that of ED providers. METHODS: Retrospective data was collected on croup patients presenting to the EDs of 2 pediatric and 1 community hospital from 2019 to 2020, including demographics, preexisting conditions, and history of croup. The ED length of stay, previous dexamethasone administration, time to ED dexamethasone, number of ED racemic epinephrine doses, viral testing, and ED revisits were also recorded. Westley croup scores were derived at ED presentation and final disposition. For admitted patients, any respiratory interventions were recorded. Admission need was defined as either admitted and required an inpatient intervention or not admitted with ED revisit. A prediction model for admission need was fit using L1-penalized logistic regression. RESULTS: We included 2951 patients in the study, 68 (2.3%) of which needed admission. The model's predictors were disposition Westley croup scores, number of ED racemic epinephrine doses, previous dexamethasone administration, and history of intubation. The model's sensitivity was 66%, specificity was 91%, positive predictive value was 15%, and negative predictive value was 99%. ED providers' performance had a sensitivity of 72%, a specificity of 94%, a positive predictive value of 23%, and a negative predictive value of 99%. CONCLUSIONS: The croup admission need predictive model appears to support clinical decision making in the ED, with the potential to improve decision making when pediatric expertise is limited.

Two Case Reports of Life-Threatening Croup Caused by the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2 Variant in Pediatric Patients.

Croup is a common upper airway infection characterized by a barking cough, stridor, and hoarseness. It is usually caused by viral infection. A small number of croup caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been reported in children before the omicron variant surge. Previously reported cases indicated that croup caused by COVID-19 can be treated in the same manner as those with other viral causes. We describe two cases (9-month-old girl and 11-month-old boy) of previously healthy infants who presented with a barking cough and chest retraction and required endotracheal intubation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Despite receiving dexamethasone and nebulized racemic epinephrine (NRE) treatment for croup in the emergency department, these patients still developed acute respiratory failure. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of nasopharyngeal samples revealed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) omicron BA.2 variant (Stealth omicron) and no other common respiratory viral pathogens. Both patients were treated with mechanical ventilation, dexamethasone, and NRE in the pediatric intensive care unit. The duration of intubation was 112 hours and 80 hours, respectively. Both patients were discharged without complications. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of life-threatening croup produced by the omicron BA.2 variant and confirmed by RT-PCR. We suggest that this SARS-CoV-2 variant may cause severe croup that may not improve with conventional treatment, even in children without underlying diseases.

Croup during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Omicron Variant Surge.

We conducted a retrospective review of medical records of patients with croup seen during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Approximately 50% underwent testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. During the Delta wave, 2.8% of those tested were positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; this increased to 48.2% during the Omicron wave, demonstrating a strong correlation between the Omicron variant and croup.

A 9-Month-Old Boy With "3 Months of Croup" a Devil Inside.

Coccidioidomycosis (CM) is an endemic fungal disease that is prevalent in the Southwestern United States, Mexico, and Central and South America. The majority of cases are asymptomatic. Symptomatic cases primarily present with pneumonic disease, varying in severity from mild to severe. In a minority, extrapulmonary disease is known to occur. These disseminated cases typically manifest as meningitis, osteomyelitis, synovitis, and integumentary. Coccidioidomycosis has been identified in nearly every part of the body, including the soft tissues and cartilaginous tissues of the oropharynx. Disseminated CM to the larynx specifically in the pediatric populations is rarely documented. This is a case of persistent stridor misdiagnosed as viral croup in a 9-month-old male with protracted disease. Herein, diagnosis and treatment of laryngeal mass found to be CM are defined with a salutatory outcome.

Croup as a Manifestation of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant Infection in Young Children.

Croup is an acute upper respiratory disease primarily caused by the parainfluenza virus. Owing to inflammation and edema of the upper airways, children present with barky cough and stridor, and some may experience respiratory distress. We investigated children aged < 5 years with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) admitted to two hospitals in Seoul, South Korea, and observed a spike in croup cases during the omicron surge. Among the 569 children admitted from March 1, 2021 to February 25, 2022, 21 children (3.7%) had croup, and the proportion of croup cases was significantly higher during the omicron wave than that during the delta wave (12.4% vs. 1.2%, P < 0.001). With the immediate administration of corticosteroids and epinephrine via nebulizer, the symptoms improved rapidly. During the current omicron surge, careful monitoring of the symptoms of croup in young children is needed for the diagnosis of COVID-19 and its timely management.

Croup as a Previously Unrecognized Symptom of COVID-19 in Infants.

Although the most common symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in children are fever and cough, cases of croup associated with COVID-19 are reported in the literature and have increased sharply with the Omicron variant. We present severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 as a viral agent in an infant presenting with croup.

Recurrent Croup.

Croup refers to airway inflammation and edema leading to obstruction of the larynx, trachea, and bronchi. Croup is the most common cause of acute airway obstruction in young children. It is characterized by the onset of low-grade fever, barky cough, stridor, hoarseness, and respiratory distress. Croup is typically caused by a viral infection (viral croup) but can occur suddenly without a viral prodrome (spasmodic croup). Recurrent croup is defined as two or more episodes per year. Recurrent croup should be considered a symptom of an underlying structural or inflammatory airway abnormality and should prompt a work-up for the underlying cause.