What condition shows stridor with barking cough, commonly in children?

• A. Croup
• B. Epiglottitis
• C. Pneumonia
• D. Congestive heart failure

Answer: (A)

Stridor with a barking cough in a child is classic for croup. This condition is caused by viral inflammation of the larynx and upper trachea (laryngotracheitis), which narrows the airway just below the vocal cords. Because a child’s airway is small to begin with, this edema produces noticeable inspiratory stridor and that distinctive bark-like cough. Croup most often affects young children, typically between about 6 months and 3 years, and symptoms can worsen at night.

Other conditions present differently: epiglottitis usually comes with drooling, a muffled voice, fever, and a more toxic appearance; pneumonia typically features fever with a productive or localized chest infection and less emphasis on a barking cough; congestive heart failure presents with edema and respiratory distress from cardiac rather than upper-airway pathology. So the combination of stridor and a barking cough in a young child best points to croup.