Big increase in Queensland children going to emergency departments with croup

Parents describe it as “terrifying” and it’s the number one reason children are turning up at the Queensland Children’s Hospital emergency department this autumn, as doctors explain what’s triggering it.

John and Kylie Kirkegaard with their twins James and Grace. James has had croup several times this year, but Grace has missed out, thankfully. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

THE Queensland Children’s Hospital has seen a sharp rise in croup cases at its emergency department since the start of Autumn compared to last year, with numbers expected to soar further as temperatures plummet.

Queensland Health figures show the state’s only standalone paediatric hospital has treated 620 children with croup since the start of March, compared with 504 cases during the same period last year – a 23 per cent increase.

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Paediatric doctors say croup has been the number one reason for children presenting to the hospital’s emergency department in the past three months.

The spike in cases has corresponded with higher than expected flu numbers in Autumn.

But Queensland Children’s Hospital emergency department director Jason Acworth said higher than usual rates of respiratory viruses across the board had contributed to the surge in croup figures.

Croup is usually triggered by viruses which result in inflammation and swelling of the voice box and windpipe.

It causes children to develop a bark-like cough and high-pitched breathing – symptoms known medically as stridor.

Dr Acworth said children from six months to three years were most at risk because of their smaller windpipes.

“We often see children with croup in the middle of the night, between midnight and 3am when the temperature drops,” he said. “Cold, dry air seems to make it worse.”

Children with severe croup can struggle to breathe, sometimes turning blue or they may appear extremely drowsy.

“If the child is struggling to breathe, or if they’re producing a harsh sound when they’re breathing, parents should call triple-0,” Dr Acworth said.

“They’re better off calling the ambulance rather than trying to drive the kids into hospital themselves. Paramedics can give the more severe cases a mask with some adrenaline to help open up the airways.”

James Kirkegaard, 3, has had croup five times since last December, but thankfully, his twin sister Grace has missed out. Croup has been the number one reason for children presenting to the Queensland Children’s Hospital emergency department. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

Mother of three-year-old twins Kylie Kirkegaard said her son James had been treated for five cases of croup since last December while his twin sister Grace had thankfully missed out.

“They have been sick together plenty of times during all of this but Grace has never had croup,” Ms Kirkegaard.

She described her son’s first “coughing fit” from croup as “terrifying, absolutely terrifying”.

Fortunately, she and her husband John were able to take James to a late-night general practitioner, who prescribed steroids.

Dr Acworth said most children with croup got over it quickly with medication to open up their airways, although some required admission to hospital.