VIRAL GROUP - CURRENT DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

Viral croup, a common illness in children, manifests with noisy, labor ed breathing, Parainfluenza viruses are the most common cause of croup ; however, other causes including epiglottitis and bacterial tracheiti s should be considered in the differential diagnosis. The diagnosis is primarily based on clinical findings; imaging studies may be useful i n selected cases. Although most children recover from this self-limite d illness with only minimal medical intervention, some are severely af fected by laryngeal swelling and require respiratory support with anal gesics, cool mist, corticosteroids, nebulized epinephrine, heliox, and , rarely, intubation, In this article, the current diagnostic and mana gement strategies for viral croup are summarized.