What is the steeple sign in croup?
The steeple sign, also called the wine bottle sign, refers to the tapering of the upper trachea on a frontal chest radiograph reminiscent of a church steeple. The appearance is suggestive of croup, which should be obvious clinically.
When do you see the steeple sign?
The steeple sign represents the glottic and subglottic narrowing of the airway typically seen in children with croup. In radiology, the narrowing of airway lumen alters the appearance of tracheal air column, which resembles a church steeple or a steeply pitched roof.
What does croup look like on xray?
X-rays of affected pediatric patients with croup often show a tapering or narrowing of the airway below the vocal cords. This pattern is known as the steeple sign because its inverted V shape is reminiscent of a church steeple.
Is there an exclusion period for croup?
Exclusion period The child should stay at home until they are feeling well. Croup usually gets better in 3–4 days. 30 It is likely that a child with severe croup will need to stay in hospital for a short time to receive specialised medical treatment.
How do you confirm croup?
Croup is generally diagnosed during a physical exam. Your doctor will likely listen to the cough, observe breathing, and ask for a description of symptoms. Even when an office visit is not necessary, doctors and nurses may diagnose croup by attentively listening to the characteristic cough over the phone.
Is there a test to diagnose croup?
Diagnosis of croup is based on clinical findings of barking cough, stridor, and hoarseness. Diagnostic testing is typically not necessary. Humidified air inhalation does not improve symptoms in patients with moderate croup. Corticosteroids should be administered to patients with croup of any severity.
Which disease is characterized by the thumb sign on radiograph?
The thumb sign is a well-known radiological feature in epiglottitis in which the epiglottic shadow appears thickened and rounded on a lateral neck radiograph. The radiological features of epiglottitis were described as early as 1963 by Poole and Altman [1].
Should a child with croup be excluded from daycare?
Croup is about as contagious as the com- mon cold. Children with croup or other respiratory infections should not have frequent contacts with infants less than six months of age. Should the child stay home? There is no reason to exclude the child from child care simply because of their harsh cough.
What is the exclusion period for measles?
Exclude the person with measles from childcare, preschool, school and work for at least 4 days after the onset of the rash. In most circumstances, contacts who are not immune to measles should be excluded from childcare, preschool, school and work for 18 days after the last contact with an infectious person.