Nebulized Budesonide for Children with Mild-to-Moderate Croup

Croup (acute laryngotracheobronchitis) is a common cause of acute upper-airway obstruction in childhood, with an incidence of approximately 3 cases per 100 children less than six years of age. Up to 1.3 percent of affected children are hospitalized 1 . After several decades of debate, 2 – 11 the benefit of glucocorticoid therapy in patients hospitalized for croup has been firmly established by the results of four recent randomized clinical trials of intramuscular dexamethasone, 12 , 13 oral prednisolone, 14 and nebulized budesonide 15 . Previous studies have not addressed whether the benefits of glucocorticoid therapy extend to children with milder disease, many of whom are evaluated . . .