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Croup (or laryngotracheobronchitis) is a respiratory condition that is usually triggered by an acute viral infection of the upper airway. It normally lasts one to two days.〔 The infection leads to swelling inside the throat, which interferes with normal breathing and produces the classical symptoms of a "barking" cough, stridor, and hoarseness. It may produce mild, moderate, or severe symptoms, which often worsen at night. It is often treated with a single dose of oral steroids; occasionally inhaled epinephrine is used in more severe cases. Hospitalization is rarely required. Croup is diagnosed on clinical grounds, once potentially more severe causes of symptoms have been excluded (i.e. epiglottitis or an airway foreign body). Further investigations—such as blood tests, X-rays, and cultures—are usually not needed. It is a relatively common condition that affects about 15% of children at some point, most commonly between 6 months and 5–6 years of age. It is almost never seen in teenagers or adults. Before the advent of vaccination, croup was frequently caused by diphtheria, and was often fatal. This cause is now a historical one in the Western world due to the success of the diphtheria vaccine and improved hygiene and living standards. ==Signs and symptoms== Croup is characterized by a "barking" cough, stridor, hoarseness, and difficulty breathing which usually worsens at night. The "barking" cough is often described as resembling the call of a seal or sea lion.〔 The stridor is worsened by agitation or crying, and if it can be heard at rest, it may indicate critical narrowing of the airways. As croup worsens, stridor may decrease considerably.〔 Other symptoms include fever, coryza (symptoms typical of the common cold), and chest wall indrawing.〔 Drooling or a very sick appearance indicate other medical conditions.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Croup」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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