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Risk factors associated with severe viral croup in hospitalised Malaysian children

P W K Chan1

  • 1Department of Paediatrics, University Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. patrick@ummc.edu.my

Singapore Medical Journal
|May 15, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Severe viral croup in children is linked to age between 12-24 months and fever. Identifying these risk factors helps guide steroid therapy for hospitalized Malaysian children with viral croup.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Viral croup is a common respiratory illness in children.
  • Identifying risk factors for severe cases is crucial for timely intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine risk factors for severe viral croup in hospitalized Malaysian children.
  • To identify predictors for severe outcomes in pediatric viral croup.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of medical records for children under five diagnosed with viral croup (1994-1999).
  • Severe viral croup defined by specific clinical signs (stridor, recession, cyanosis, altered consciousness).
  • Multivariate logistic regression analysis to identify associated risk factors.

Main Results:

  • 14.7% of 122 children experienced severe viral croup.
  • Risk factors for severe disease included older age (12-24 months) and presence of fever.
  • Older children (16.8 vs 12.6 months) and shorter illness duration (1.7 vs 2.3 days) were noted in severe cases.
  • Ventilation was required in only 2.5% of severe cases.

Conclusions:

  • Age between 12-24 months and fever are significant risk factors for severe viral croup.
  • Early recognition of these factors can guide the selection of children for steroid therapy.
  • The overall prognosis for hospitalized viral croup cases remains favorable.
Abstract

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