Diane and Rick settled down in bed for the night. Diane cherished this quiet time in her day after her son was in bed.-
His rattling, bark-like cough was incredibly loud. He felt hot and his coughing was causing him obvious discomfort — his eyes were watering and his body trembled with each cough.
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Diane thought about the day, trying to pinpoint a cause for Michael's sudden coughing and distress. Their day had been like any other. Michael had gone to preschool like he did regularly three times a week. He had eaten a good dinner and had gone to bed at his usual eight o'clock bedtime without trouble.
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Rick and Diane thought the best thing to do was call a 24-hour health information line. Diane rubbed her son's back and sang some of his favourite songs to calm him. Already Michael's breathing eased and he only coughed every once in a while.
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A nurse answered and asked questions to check if Michael needed emergency care.
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The nurse told Diane to visit the emergency room if:
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Diane and Rick walked to Michael's room and opened the window. Diane bundled Michael in a blanket and they sat together in a rocking chair breathing in the cool air. She crossed her fingers; please let his coughing stop.
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After twenty minutes Michael became more calm and his coughing less frequent. They no longer heard the squeaking sound when he breathed in.
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But soon, Michael's coughing started getting worse again and his breathing strained.
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Rick and Diane decided that Michael should go to the emergency department. Diane threw on a winter coat and bundled up Michael, carrying him to the car. Rick stayed home with their other child who was well and sleeping. He watched by the door hoping that Michael would be okay.
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As she raced along the empty streets, Diane nervously kept a close eye on Michael by regularly looking in the rear-view mirror. She rolled down the window to clear the windshield and within a few minutes, Michael's coughing got a little better. Though he was breathing very loudly and his voice sounded scratchy, he seemed calmer and happier.
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Just before midnight they walked through the emergency department doors. Within minutes of being in warmer air, Michael's breathing got worse.
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Diane described what happened to the nurse, who then made notes on a chart and checked Michael.
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The nurse gave Diane some Tylenol to give to Michael for his fever. He then asked them to have a seat in the waiting room.
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The emergency department was very busy and the wait seemed endless. Finally after three hours, Diane and Michael were led to an examination room.
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Diane explained to the doctor what brought her to the emergency department. The doctor examined Michael and confirmed what she suspected — Michael was suffering from a moderate case of croup.
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The doctor told her that they would watch Michael for a few hours and if all was well, Diane and her son would be on their way home.
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Sure enough several hours later when the doctor returned, Diane appeared much calmer and Michael was resting comfortably in her arms.
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Other medications such as cough syrups, decongestants, or antibiotics will not help with croup.
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Rick and Diane tucked Michael into bed and he fell asleep right away. They hugged at the doorway looking at Michael — they were extremely relieved.
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As they made their way to their bedroom, they paused for a kiss and savoured the quiet that had settled over the house.
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This croup e-book is based on the following
booklets which were sponsored by CIHR Team In
Pediatric Emergency Medicine
