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Original poster

Anyone know anything about croup? Ds admitted to hosptial with severe croup.

40 replies

PanicPants · 15/10/2007 15:57

After giving us all such a huge scare last night we are back home again and he is sleeping upstairs.

I don't know much about croup, other than ds couldn't breath, and when he was he was pulling in his chect completely and struggling. It took various oxygen/salbutamol nebulisers, steriods and eventually adrenaline for his breathing to be stable enough in a&e to be admitted onto the ward.

He has been given more steriods today, and we have open access to the ward should he have another episode when the steriod wears off.

Hospital staff were amazing, but I have some questions now I'm at home and things have calmed down.
Apparently croup is quite common, although they rarely see such a severe form of it. But was it severe in ds's case because he is an asthmatic? And will there be any lasting effects on him re: his breathing/asthma?

Any help and expriences greatfully recieved as I'm sat here shaking now that it's all over and just need to talk about it.

OP posts:
brimfull · 15/10/2007 16:01

God poor you must have been terrifying.

My ds has asthma ,it is scary when they can't breathe properly.

Steroids are alife saver

Original poster
PanicPants · 15/10/2007 16:05

The scary thing was he went downhill so quickly. Within minutes. He's never been so poorly

OP posts:
mishymoo · 15/10/2007 16:18

Oh your poor LO! My DS has had croup a couple of times but not to such a serious extent as yours.

Not sure if this link is useful.

advice re croup

brimfull · 15/10/2007 16:20

bet you'll find yourself going over and over the events of last night in your head.
Did he wake up with it?

Original poster
PanicPants · 15/10/2007 16:23

Thank you mishymoo, it is helpful. From what that says and what I've read, croup is really common and not normally a problem.

Trust ds! And he's only just turned 2, he's still a baby

OP posts:
Original poster
PanicPants · 15/10/2007 16:26

You're right ggirl. No he has had a cold over the weekend, and yesterday morning sounded a bit hoarse when he woke up, but was fine during the day. His breathing got louder and louder as the afternoon went on, so we took him to the out of hours drs at the hospital, who said it was croup and not to worry. But with 10mins of coming back home he was struggling to breath at all and turning blue. So we turned round and rushed straight back to the hospital, who then sent us straight to resuss, where he got worse!

OP posts:
CaptainUnderpants · 15/10/2007 16:48

Panicpants - same thing happened to DS when he was 8 months old. He had lost his voice a few dyas before and I had taken him to the Gp who said it was laryngitis.

A couple of days later he wasn't right and by luch time I took him straight down to the GP surgery , the recptionist took one look at him and called out the GP to the recption dek , the GP took one look at him and told the recptionist to dial 999 !!

He was given some nebulizer by Gp whilst we waited for ambulance , we were then on blue lights up to A & E wher on arrival a team were waiting for us outside !

My god what an experience !

DS was gievn treatment like yours and kept in over night .

the only effct afterwards was that when having a cold he became a bit wheezy and we had a pump for him .

thankfully no lasting side affects and he is a bouncy 7 yr old !!

A very frigtening time but they do go down hill very rapidly !

Original poster
PanicPants · 15/10/2007 16:53

CAptainunderpants - thats great news. So no real lasting effects for your ds.

It's so scary when it happens isn't it?

OP posts:
alibobins · 15/10/2007 16:56

Poor ds

Ds gets croup quite alot each time resulting in treatment like that He's not well today so i'm half expecting a bad night

We have got a prescription at home for the steriods and we've also been told to give epi-pen(prescribed for allergies) if he goes down hill fast.

Things we do at home are:

his bed is raised and we put a wet towal on his radiator to try and help.

Hope ds gets better soon.

sKerryMum · 15/10/2007 16:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

alibobins · 15/10/2007 16:58

DS is asthmatic as well.

sKerryMum · 15/10/2007 16:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
PanicPants · 15/10/2007 17:15

Thank you thats all good advice. I'm going to look into getting a nebulizer (apparently you can buy them from Maplin) but I suppose you would need the drugs from the gp?

OP posts:
Original poster
PanicPants · 15/10/2007 17:16

allibobins - do you think there is a connection between the croup and asthma? And if ds has had one severe bout of croup he is likely to get one again?

OP posts:
sKerryMum · 15/10/2007 17:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
PanicPants · 15/10/2007 17:35

Thank you sKerrymum, thats very comprehensive.

OP posts:
alibobins · 15/10/2007 17:36

not sure if the two are connected in everyones case but hospital said ds has got sensitive airways so it always makes it worse

We have also got a nebuliser at home gp paid half and we paid half.

Ds 2.9 only started getting croup last year and has always needed hospital treatment usually blue lights in an ambulance.

possumhead · 15/10/2007 18:03

PP, Very sorry to hear about little J, hope he's ok. Lots of love from me and G xxx

CaptainUnderpants · 15/10/2007 18:33

I would if I were you Panicpants get hold of a steamer that you could put in the bedroom if he has a cold . It will help keep the airways open, also if you mamge to get an inhaler from Gp ( we had blue which I think is the salbutamol ?) it will all help , especailly during the winter.

The whole experince which was six yeras ago still sends a shiver down my back and reduces me to tears when I think about it .

I was a gibbering idiot at A & E but the staff were fantastic. To see them all waiting for us as the ambulance arrived really set me off on one !I remeber that the first few hours on the ward Ds had two nurses looking after him and monitoring him. He wouldn't settle down to sleep during the night so the nurses found us a side room wher I could sleep and have him sleeping with me in the bed. ( Side guards up of course ! )

When Ds2 was 4 months old he had an attack of broncilitis and I cold see that he was struggling a bit with breathing. I called 999 straight away and got him checked at A & E and all was OK .

thw whole experience although not very nice is a valuable one to go through as we realise how quick little ones can go down hill.

Original poster
PanicPants · 15/10/2007 20:01

Thank you possumhead. Love to you and G too.

Ds is in bed and dp is going to sleep in with him tonight just to be safe, as his breathing is still a little hoarse. (I did last night at the hospital )

CaptainUnderpants - yes you're right, next time (although fingers crossed there won't be a next time) I'm phoning 999. The nurse at A&E told us that was what we should have done as ds would have had oxygen straight away and there would have been a waiting party.

Thank you everyone for you're advice and experiences - it has helped to talk about it.

OP posts:
northender · 15/10/2007 20:19

Salbutamol won't help in true croup (only if there is an asthma type wheeze as well afaik, but we had fab advice with ds from our gp who suggested trying a big dose (about 8 puffs I think) of steroid inhaler ie becotide and that was always enough for ds.

ds had croup on a regular basis(every couple of months) for about 2 years but has totally grown out of it now and has no lasting effects. We found taking him into the bathroom, shutting the door and running the hottest shower we could the best thing. It always worked within minutes. Alternatively on cold frosty nights taking him outside to breathe the cold air was even quicker.

The main thing is that you now know what to do and you'll be able to spot the signs earlier and ealier as you recognise the distinctive noise of croup.

Take care tonight, I remember how scary it was at first although ds was not as severe as yours. I also remember how routine it became in the end when we got used to it, the panic does get less.

sKerryMum · 15/10/2007 20:53

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northender · 15/10/2007 22:36

Actually nebulised steroid is the usual first line hospital treatment for croup. Croup is not an acute asthma situation. .What our Gp advised us was a way we could administer inhaled steroid (at much higher than his preventative dose) without access to a nebuliser. We did it 2 or 3 times at the onset of his symptoms and it was effective.

What any parents need to do is get as much information about different strategies and in conjunction with a GP or paed find out what works best for their dc.

sKerryMum · 15/10/2007 23:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

pirategirl · 15/10/2007 23:32

i'm lost now, sitting here reading about the inhalers, no wonder we all have different views, we are all being told differenthings by gp's??

my dd has sensitive lungs, mild asthma and always has croup when she gets a cold.

I wish I knew the best way to treat it.

Glad op's little one is ok hugs to u

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