Respiratory Flashcards
What is croup also known as?
Acute laryngeotracheobronchitis
What is the usual age range for croup?
6 months to 3 years
What age is the peak incidence for croup?
2 years of age
What organisms can cause croup?
Parainfluenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, adenovirus, rhinovirus
What counts as a high respiratory rate for a neonate?
> 60
What counts as a high respiratory rate for an infant?
> 50
What counts as a high respiratory rate for a young child?
> 40
What counts as a high respiratory rate for an older child?
> 30
What are some signs of respiratory distress in a paediatric patient?
Nasal flaring Grunting Head bobbing Tachypnoea Tracheal tug Inter- and subcostal recession
What are some acute causes of upper airway obstruction and stridor?
Infectious: croup, epiglottitis, tracheitis, measles
Non-infectious: foreign body, anaphylaxis, trauma, hypocalcaemia
What are some chronic causes of upper airway obstruction and stridor?
Congenital: laryngomalacia, laryngeal web, vascular ring, cystic hygroma
Acquired: stenosis, papilloma, mediastinal mass, damage to vocal cords/spinal cord
What are the clinical features of croup?
- Short history of cough, rhinorrhoea and fever progressing to a barking cough and hoarseness
- Stridor
- Tachypnoea, recessions
What are the features of mild croup?
Occasional barking cough, no audible stridor at rest, no suprasternal or intercostal recessions, child will eat, drink and play
What are the features of moderate croup?
Frequent barking cough, audible stridor at rest, suprasternal and sternal wall retraction, not too distressed or agitated
What are the features of severe croup?
Frequent barking cough, prominent stridor at rest, marked recessions, agitation or lethargic or restless
What are the differentials of croup?
Epiglottitis, inhaled foreign body, acute anaphylaxis, tracheitis, Laryngomalacia, peritonsillar abscess
How can croup be differentiated from epiglottitis?
- Croup comes on over days, epiglottitis over hours
- Croup has a coryza prodrome, epiglottitis does not
- Croup has a barking cough, epiglottitis only a slight cough if any
- Epiglottitis has a higher grade fever
- Stridor in croup is rasping, epiglottitis is soft
- Hoarse voice in croup, weak voice or silent in epiglottitis
When should a child be admitted with mild croup?
- Previous history of severe airway obstruction
- Less than 6 months old
- Inadequate fluid intake
- Poor response to initial treatment
- Significant parental anxiety
How is croup treated?
Single dose of oral dexamethasone (0.15mg/kg) or oral prednisolone (1-2mg/kg)
Nebulised adrenaline
Oxygen as required
What organism causes whooping cough?
Bordetella pertussis
When are vaccines against whooping cough given?
2, 3 and 4 months of age
What are the clinical features of whooping cough?
Catarrhal phase (1-2 weeks) - rhinitis, dry cough, conjunctivitis, irritability, low grade fever, sore throat
Paroxysmal phase (2-8 weeks) - severe paroxysms of coughing followed by an inspiratory gasp (whoop sound)
Convalescent phase - cough gradually decreases in frequency and severity