Croup (laryngotracheobronchitis) is a viral infection of the upper airway that causes throat swelling, leading to a barking cough, stridor, and hoarseness. It mainly affects children aged 6 months to 12 years, peaking at around 2 years. Most cases are mild and self-limiting. Emergency treatments include cool mist, nebulized epinephrine, and steroids. Steroid therapy, particularly dexamethasone (oral or intramuscular), is commonly used, with recent studies suggesting intramuscular dexamethasone may be more effective. However, most research has focused on hospitalized patients, and there is a lack of local data for mild cases. This study aims to address that gap and improve patient counseling and future research
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
200
Patients in group A will receive oral dexamethasone which will be administered at 0.6mg/kg as single dose
Patients in group B will receive intramuscular dexamethasone which will be administered in 0.6mg/kg strength as intra-gluteal injection as single dose
Khyber Teaching Hospital
Peshawar, KPK, Pakistan
Settlement of symptoms of Croup
complete or partial settlement of symptoms i.e barking cough, inspiratory stridor, difficulty in breathing and hoarseness of voice.
Time frame: within 24 hours
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