Croup and asthma treatment: what to know

Croup usually involves swelling around the upper airway and may cause a barking cough, hoarse voice, or a harsh sound when breathing in. Asthma involves sensitive, narrowed lower airways and commonly causes cough, wheezing, chest tightness, or breathlessness. A child can have symptoms that overlap, so the sound or label alone should not determine treatment.

Allergic rhinitis, house dust mite allergy, infections, smoke, and other triggers may worsen airway symptoms. A chronic cough also needs its own assessment. Clinicians consider the person's age, breathing effort, oxygen level when available, previous episodes, and response to prescribed treatment.

For croup-like symptoms, keep the child calm and upright and follow the clinician's plan. Do not use steam or give unprescribed medicines. Asthma treatment may include a prescribed reliever inhaler and, for some people, regular preventer treatment. Use inhalers with the recommended technique and spacer if supplied.

A nebuliser treatment may be used in a clinic or emergency setting when a clinician considers it appropriate; it is not automatically needed for every cough or wheeze. Keep a written action plan if asthma has been diagnosed, and reduce known triggers such as smoke or indoor allergens where practical.

Call emergency services for severe breathing difficulty, blue or grey lips, pauses in breathing, exhaustion, confusion, or inability to speak, drink, or cry normally. Urgent assessment is also needed when a prescribed reliever is not helping as directed, breathing is rapidly worsening, or noisy breathing continues while resting.

Which airway pattern does this episode suggest? What is the exact inhaler or medicine plan, and how should it be given? When would a Nebuliser Treatment be considered? Which triggers should we avoid, and what signs mean we should seek emergency help?