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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Anybody up, normal or not, some retraction breathing with croup

34 replies

hoobalula · 12/07/2023 00:21

DS 4 has what I suspect is croup (had it a few times before). He has asthma and takes daily steroid inhalers and montelukast tablets which have been really helping control it lately.
Tonight he is coughing away quite a lot, I've only got an adult oximeter but when using it it does show 95 which is says is within range for his age. However I've just been watching him and when he's breathing he's pulling in in the middle bit of his chest and his neck is pulling in a bit too. Neither are as bad as some of the videos I've just looked up online though.
He has no blueness or anything like that. Is this an emergency job or something we can ride out until the morning and see the Gp? I should add he has not temp or anything with it.

OP posts:
SleepingStandingUp · 12/07/2023 00:23

If he's sleeping, if probably leave him but get up and check him in a fee hours. Is he making any noise when he breathes?

Original poster
hoobalula · 12/07/2023 00:24

@SleepingStandingUp he's got a bit of a wheeze when breathing and obviously is breathing a bit louder than normal due to the cough but nothing too noticeable.

OP posts:
User10932 · 12/07/2023 00:24

If in doubt, get it checked out. My DS has had some real nasty bouts of croup so I feel your pain. A&E have never messed about with us, have always been happy to check him over/ get steroids in to him/ observe etc etc. Good luck!

AnotherVice · 12/07/2023 00:25

Ambulance practitioner here, you should take him to A&E if he has recessions/tracheal tug. That would be our advice if we attended.

theskyispurple · 12/07/2023 00:25

Paed nurse here... that's called recession and it's a sign they are working too hard to breathe. He needs a&e

nocoolnamesleft · 12/07/2023 00:27

Recession at rest? He needs seeing promptly, and I'm betting he'll be given steroids. Do not be reassured by his oxygen sats. They only tend to drop in croup when things are getting very serious indeed.

Nodeepdiving · 12/07/2023 00:28

Not medically qualified, but this is exactly what we were told to look out for when DS was a toddler and prone to bronchiolitis. I imagine 111 would send an emergency ambulance, so it's either that, 999 or you take him to A&E yourself. Good luck, hope he recovers soon!

StayAnonn · 12/07/2023 00:30

I'd be borderline concerned at a constant 95 on an oximeter. None of my dc have dropped below 97 even during chest infections or random URTs with cough etc.

I'd go to A&E. I'd not bother with 111 or similar because as soon as you mention retraction they'll send you there anyway.

Wishitsnows · 12/07/2023 00:31

Sounds like he needs to be assessed in A&E. I would say call an ambulance but it is probably quicker if you take him as that service is pretty useless. I hope he’s ok.

Duttercup · 12/07/2023 00:34

The 'trouble' with croup and friends is that they can ease right off once they're awake and upright again and then you're in A&E with a perfectly happy child, so I'd try and get a quick video of his breathing now to show them.

Original poster
hoobalula · 12/07/2023 00:36

@Duttercup yes that's what I was worried about. I've actually managed to get a couple of videos already though.
Thanks for all the advice I will get him seen now

OP posts:
stonedaisy · 12/07/2023 00:45

111

caringcarer · 12/07/2023 02:14

Put the kettle on in his room to moisten the air with steam. GP told me to do that when my little one had bad croup.

MovingAlongInWayThatIsPositive · 12/07/2023 04:07

Arrrgh! Don’t listen to anyone saying put the kettle on or 111. Stick the child in the car and go to A&E as this is an emergency.

I didn’t know. I brought my child to the GP like this and the GP called an ambulance. It’s considered an emergency when they suck in around the neck or ribcage.

YukoandHiro · 12/07/2023 04:30

My daughter suffers from viral wheeze so I've had a lot of these "what should I do?" moments.

I think if it was just the neck I'd leave it but chest retractions suggest a serious struggle. I'd go in for peace of mind. Probably best to get the dexamethasone

Groutyonehereagain · 12/07/2023 04:32

I just came on to say A & E. My boy has asthma and I know what you should do. I hope your DS is okay. 🧸

Poppins2016 · 12/07/2023 04:50

I took my little boy to A&E with croup (sent by 111). When we were discharged after he was given steroids and his breathing had settled, I was told them take him straight back in if he had any chest/neck retractions (or if "he sounded like he did when he came in" - which was raspy with a barky cough).

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/croup/
The NHS website recommends calling 999 for retractions, so going to A&E wouldn't be an overreaction.

nhs.uk

Croup

Croup is a common childhood condition that causes a barking cough and cold-like symptoms. It's usually mild, but it's important to call 111 if you suspect your child has croup. They may need treatment.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/croup

MovingAlongInWayThatIsPositive · 12/07/2023 05:27

@YukoandHiro please if you see the neck sucking it, also take your child as an emergency. I had no idea about this and wince when I think of how things could have gone.

Pawpatrolsucks · 12/07/2023 05:35

If they are just coughing see how they go. If they are making raspy sounds when they breathe, or struggling to breathe at all they need steroids. If you don’t have predmix on hand you need to go to hospital.

cigarettesNalcohol · 12/07/2023 05:56

From how you described your child's breathing, he needs to go to A & E. the retracted breathing is a visible sign that he is struggling to breathe. This in turn, is exhausting for him and if his condition suddenly deteriorated, it could get a lot more serious quite suddenly, and that's when you need to be in hospital.

This has happened to my daughter a few times and each time we called an ambulance and the paramedics confirmed she needed to go to hospital.

Plus with his confirmed asthma I wouldn't be risk it.

Hope he's better.

YukoandHiro · 12/07/2023 06:06

MovingAlongInWayThatIsPositive · 12/07/2023 05:27

@YukoandHiro please if you see the neck sucking it, also take your child as an emergency. I had no idea about this and wince when I think of how things could have gone.

This is interesting as I've previously been sent away from a&e for small neck tugs.
I use visible signs along with a home blood oxygen meter now to decide on action. I do always err on the side of caution and would go in at 94/95, as OP is at

Nodeepdiving · 12/07/2023 13:16

OP, how are things today?

Original poster
hoobalula · 12/07/2023 15:11

@Nodeepdiving I got him seen and he is now on steroids for the next few days. Thanks for asking

OP posts:
Nodeepdiving · 12/07/2023 18:04

Oh good! These things are not nice, but it sounds like he's got the right medication and isn't too poorly!

Original poster
hoobalula · 12/07/2023 18:14

Does anybody know how long it should take before we see an improvement? The last few times he's had steroids he's been better within hours but he had his first (of two) doses about 6 hours ago and he's still exactly the same. Hacking away with his cough, gone off food and just generally not himself. His neck and tummy aren't sucking in as much as he's sat up now but when he lays down you can hear his breathing getting harder again

OP posts:
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