Croup - any advice?

[laura032004]

DS1 (3yrs) has been diagnosed by the GP with croup. He's hoarse, has a temperature, feels rubbish and has a slight barking cough. She prescribed antibiotics. However, the NHS website says it is usually viral, so is it worth giving the antibiotics? They were prescribed yesterday, but I thought I'd see how he was overnight before I started them. He's no better, probably worse if anything.

Anything else I can do to help? I know steam helps, but how do you do this? Our water in the bathroom doesn't get hot enough for steam.

And should I be keeping him off pre-school? I will today as he doesn't feel well enough to go, but should I keep him off until he's 100%- is it infectious?

[Jas]

I have been told it is and is not infecious by different people but ds had it last week after being in contac with two other children with it, so I would keep him away from nursery.
I sat int the kitchen with pans of water boiling to get the steam.

Odd for a gp to prescribe ABs fo a virus, unless he also has a chest infection. If it is just croup they will be pointless.

Hope he is better soon.

[eleanorsmum]

do you have an electric shower that you can turn up? this makes good steam. or kettles and pans in the kitchen if it's small enough. if he's bad at night take him wrapped up in his duvet outside, the cool night air helps. dd had this, no antibiotics but they may help if he has any underlying infections. rest was the best cure. we spent two days in bed watching dvd's! hope this helps, and he feels better soon.

[laura032004]

Thanks Jas. Our kitchen is too big to get steamy with pans boiling I think. He's not that bad with it, so maybe it won't come to that. I'll try some warm drinks and see if they help.

No chest infection - I read that you can get bacterial croup, but that's really really serious and rare these days. Maybe she was just playing on the safe side in case it turned out to be a throat infection. Annoying though as a couple of years ago when DS1 had a chest infection, I took him to 4 doctors, none of whom prescribed antibiotics. In the end we took him to casualty, and he was admitted for IV antibiotics. At least I know what GP to see if I want to get antibiotics next time

[laura032004]

x-posts eleanorsmum

Will try the shower - hadn't thought of that. I wish DS2 fancied 2 days in bed watching DVD's! Sure DS1 would go for that!

[belgo]

laura - croup itself is a symptom of a virus/bacterial infection. The infection itself is contagious, so keep him off school until he is clearly better (temperature gone, getting energy back, but he still might be coughing for a lttle while after the infection itself has gone).

In children it is mostly viral but I had croup as an adult for the first time and that was bacterial and I needed antibiotics as well as inhalers.

With antibiotics you should notice a definite improvement within 48 hours. If not, take him back to the doctors.

If he starts having difficulty breathing, then take him into the bathroom with the shower on as eleanor'smum has said. If that doesn't help and he still has difficulty breathing, take him to A&E.