Secondary airway support in the management of croup

Over a four year period of 2,567 croup admissions, 65 required secondary airway support, 45 were intubated, and 30 underwent tracheotomy. The median duration of nasotracheal intubation was six days and of tracheotomy 11 days. The overall morbidity was less for nasotracheal intubation but tubal obstruction resulted in the death of one patient in this group.