Epinephrine for Croup

Topic Overview

The doctor may give your child epinephrine medicine to help open swollen breathing tubes if your child has moderate to severe croup. Epinephrine is given through a nebulizer. This process is called a breathing treatment.

One breathing treatment with epinephrine may be enough. But sometimes children with croup symptoms need a second treatment. Or they may need a different medicine to take later at home. Children will be watched in the doctor's office or emergency department for several hours after a breathing treatment with epinephrine. This is to make sure another treatment is not needed.