Croup
This is an infection of the upper airway, which restricts breathing and causes a cough, which resembles that of a barking dog. The cough and other signs are due to swelling around the larynx, trachea and bronchi. Taking a breath produces a high-pitched sound. A child develops the following symptoms if there is enough inflammation and coughing, a loud barking cough, fever, hoarse voice and noisy breathing.
Bronchiolitis
This is a common lung infection in young children. It causes inflammation and congestion in the bronchioles of the lung. A virus causes it. It starts out with symptoms resembling those of a common cold. It then advances to coughing, wheezing and breathing difficulty. Symptoms can last for several days to weeks. Symptoms include a runny nose, stuffy nose, cough and a slight fever.
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Epiglottitis
This acute lethal viral infection results in swelling and inflammation of the epiglottis. It causes breathing problems, including stridor, which is a high-pitched sound as one breathes, and can gradually worsen leading to airway obstruction. The swelling can become so much that air cannot get in or out of the lungs leading to a medical emergency. Symptoms include a very sore throat, fever, muffled voice, no cough, cyanosis that is a blue skin colouring, stridor. As it worsens, the following symptoms can appear and they include drooling, difficulty breathing, the child sits leaning forward and keeps his or her mouth open.
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia
This is a chronic lung disease, which affects new-borns. It is caused by damage to the lungs caused by extended use of a respirator and long-term use of oxygen. It has the following signs and symptoms that include rapid shallow breathing, grunting sounds and flaring of nostrils.
The child was suffering from epiglottitis. This is evident through the similarity in the symptoms. The drooling is the most evident sign. Croup and bronchiolitis is eliminated due to the coughing since it is indicated that the child was not coughing. The bronchopulmonary dysplasia affects the newborn but in this case, the patient is not an infant.
