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Pulmonary arterial pressure in children with croup syndrome

Bülent Oran1, Gülsün Ekici, Ismail Reisli

  • 1Department of Pediatrics and Otorhinolaryngology, Meram Medical Faculty, Selçuk University, Konya, Turkey. pedkar@selcuk.edu.tr

American Journal of Otolaryngology
|May 2, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Children with croup syndrome experience higher pulmonary arterial pressure, especially with severe symptoms. This elevated pressure is reversible with treatment, indicating the importance of monitoring during illness.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Cardiology
  • Critical Care Medicine

Background:

  • Croup syndrome (laryngotracheitis) is a common cause of upper airway obstruction in children.
  • Upper airway obstruction in children can lead to elevated pulmonary arterial pressure.
  • The relationship between croup syndrome severity and pulmonary arterial pressure requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between croup syndrome and pulmonary arterial pressure in pediatric patients.
  • To compare pulmonary arterial pressure in children with croup syndrome versus healthy controls.
  • To assess the impact of croup severity on pulmonary arterial pressure.

Main Methods:

  • Echocardiography was used to measure pulmonary arterial pressure in 40 children with croup syndrome and 14 healthy controls.
  • Patients were categorized into high croup score (>=6) and low croup score groups.
  • High croup score patients received dexamethasone treatment, with serial measurements during therapy.

Main Results:

  • Children with croup syndrome exhibited significantly higher pulmonary arterial pressures compared to healthy subjects at diagnosis.
  • Patients with high croup scores had markedly elevated pulmonary arterial pressures versus the low croup score group (P < .05).
  • Pulmonary arterial pressure normalized by the end of therapy in all treated patients.

Conclusions:

  • Pulmonary arterial pressure increases in the acute phase of croup syndrome, correlating with disease severity.
  • The elevation in pulmonary arterial pressure associated with croup syndrome is reversible.
  • Doppler echocardiography is a valuable tool for monitoring pulmonary arterial pressure in children with croup syndrome.
Abstract

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