COPING WITH CROUP

摘要

Croup sounds like one of those childhood conditions that belongs in Victorian times, but it is still a common complaint in the 21st century. For example, the respiratory viral infection was one of the most searched-for health topics on Google in 2017: the question being 'Why is croup worse at night?' (Howard, 2017); -and the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (CVUHB) in Wales said it had seen a spike in cases of the condition last year. The clinical name for croup is laryngotracheobronchitis, which reveals that it is an inflammation of the larynx, trachea and bronchi. It's also a viral condition, usually caused by the parainfluenza and influenza viruses, and mostly affects children between the ages of six months and three years, peaking among two-year-olds (NICE, 2017). On rare occasions, babies as young as three months old, teenagers and even adults can also catch croup (NICE, 2017).