Comparing Different Ways of Delivering Humidity to Children With Croup

The Hospital for Sick Children

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 2

Conditions: Croup

Treatments: Device: nebulized humidity

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT00230841

0020010158

Details and patient eligibility

About

Croup affects 5% of children under 6 years of age, resulting in visits to hospital Emergency Departments, and in 1% of children, hospitalization. Traditionally, the first therapy offered is humidification which can liquify airway secretions and decrease airway swelling. This study will compare the effectivenesss of 40% and 100% humidity through a specially designed machine called a nebulizer, with the usual humidity set-up (blown into the patient's face from a hose).

Sex: All

Ages: 3 months to 10 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• children aged 3 months - 10 years
• croup score greater than or equal to 2 after a 30 minute waiting period

Exclusion criteria

• Symptoms of croup requiring immediate intervention with nebulized epinephrine or intubation
• symptoms or signs of alternative causes of stridor
• inability of caregivers to understand or speak English and/or sign for informed consent
• history of chronic pulmonary disease except for asthma, or co-existent systemic disease
• previous history of intubation
• duration of present illness >1 week
• systemic or inhaled glucocorticoids in previous 48 hours
• epinephrine in previous 4 hours

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind