guidelines

croup (laryngotracheobronchitis): assessment & management (nice cks)

a practical primary-care guide to croup: severity assessment, steroid dosing, when to admit, and safety netting using nice cks.

last reviewed: 2026-02-13
based on: NICE CKS Croup (management)

Safety net

Frequently asked questions

What’s the single highest-yield intervention?
A single immediate dose of oral dexamethasone (0.15 mg/kg) reduces symptom severity and return visits in croup (CKS).

Transparency

This page is an educational, clinician-written summary of publicly available NICE guidance intended for trained healthcare professionals. It uses original wording (not copied text) and should be used alongside the full NICE source, local pathways, and clinical judgement. Doses provided are for general reference; always check the BNF/SPC.