2 nd Period: Medical Microbiology Respiratory Infections

Croup (Basic Facts and Overview)  Respiratory infection brought on by an infection of the upper respiratory airway  Infection leads to the swelling of the throat  It can often be treated with a single dose of oral steroids  Common in the young

Etiology  Viral croup is most common in the age groups of 6 months to 6 years of age  Epinephrine resolves more severe cases  About 1.5 to 6 percent of kids in the US acquire the disease  Parainfluenza viruses are the most common etiological forms of croups  Causative Agent: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)  Common Causes: Viral infection is the most common permutation. Bacterial vectors are the second most common cause.

Epidemiology  Croup affects about 15% of children in the standard age group that affects croup  It accounts for about 5% of hospital admissions in the US  Has been found in people as young as 3 months to 15 years  Standard Age Group: 3 months old to 15 years old  It is restricted to the young group of the population  Common Season: Between October and March

Mode of Transmission  RSV (Croup) is transmitted through oral contact, liquids, and other vectors  Fomites are another mode of transmission

Clinical Symptoms  Clinical Symptoms include:  “Barking cough”  Stridor  Hoarseness  Difficulty breathing  (Note: Croup is usually worse during night time due to changes in the shape of the respiratory system when sleeping)

Diagnostic Tests  Mostly diagnosed due to the common “steeple sign”, or the tendency to crane the neck due to pain in the trachea  Signs of epiglotitis  Laryngoscopy could also be considered for the patient.  There are multiple ways to diagnose, more than these 3

Treatment  The following medicines are the several forms of accepted treatment:  Corticosteroids (Pain relief and lessens swelling)  Epinephrine  Heliox (Gaseous relief medicine, Relieves symptoms)

Important Stuff  Most Severe Form of Croup: Parainfluenza Forms 1 and 3  X-Ray of Croup will most likely reveal the “Thumb Sign”  Heliox is not better than Epinephrine for the treatment of symptoms

Short Video Supplement  Link: msx8

Prevention  Vaccination or Immunization to influenza and diphtheria.  Washing hands also lowers the infection rate from person to person

The End  “Offro né paga, né quarti, né disposizioni; Offro fame, sete, marce forzate, battaglie e morte. Sia lui che ama il suo paese nel suo cuore e non solo con le labbra mi segua.”  --Giuseppe Garibaldi  Presentation by: Aldo J. Antolini-Rico