Breathing Through a Straw: A Case of Adult Croup at High Altitude
Croup in adults is a rare but potentially life-threatening condition. We describe a case of croup in a 40-y-old female climber, likely precipitated by exposure to cold, dry air at high altitude. To our knowledge, this is the first documented case of croup in an adult associated with exposure to high altitude. This case highlights the importance of early recognition and timely intervention in managing this uncommon presentation in an adult of a common childhood condition.
Authors
- Ken Zafren (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4928-840X)
- Prince Singh
- Joanne HY Lai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-1379-7126)
- Prakash Khatri
- Jasmine Y. Gale (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-2193-0034)
Institutions
- Dartmouth–Hitchcock Medical Center (US)
- Himalayan Rescue Association (NP)
- Stanford Medicine (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Wilderness and Environmental Medicine
- Published
- 2026-07-23
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1177/10806032261471145
- Primary Topic
- Otolaryngology and Infectious Diseases
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00