Epinephrine for Croup

Topic Overview

The doctor may give your child epinephrine medicine to help open swollen breathing tubes if your child has moderate to severe croup . Epinephrine is given through a nebulizer . This process is called a breathing treatment.

One breathing treatment with epinephrine may be enough. But sometimes children with croup symptoms need a second treatment. Or they may need a different medicine to take later at home. Children will be watched in the doctor's office or emergency department for several hours after a breathing treatment with epinephrine. This is to make sure another treatment is not needed.

Related Information

References

Other Works Consulted

  • Roosevelt GE (2011). Acute inflammatory upper airway obstruction (croup, epiglottitis, laryngitis, and bacterial tracheitis). In RM Kliegman et al., eds., Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 19th ed., pp. 1445-1450. Philadelphia: Saunders.

Credits

ByHealthwise Staff
Primary Medical Reviewer John Pope, MD - Pediatrics

Current as ofMay 4, 2017

Current as of: May 4, 2017