Efficacy Of Oral Dexamethasone Versus Parenteral Dexamethasone In The Management Of Mild To Moderate Croup

Status

Completed

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT06959407

Enrollment

200

Registered

2025-05-06

Start date

2024-10-01

Completion date

2025-03-01

Last updated

2026-01-29

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Laryngotracheobronchitis, Croup

Brief summary

Croup (laryngotracheobronchitis) is a viral infection of the upper airway that causes throat swelling, leading to a barking cough, stridor, and hoarseness. It mainly affects children aged 6 months to 12 years, peaking at around 2 years. Most cases are mild and self-limiting. Emergency treatments include cool mist, nebulized epinephrine, and steroids. Steroid therapy, particularly dexamethasone (oral or intramuscular), is commonly used, with recent studies suggesting intramuscular dexamethasone may be more effective. However, most research has focused on hospitalized patients, and there is a lack of local data for mild cases. This study aims to address that gap and improve patient counseling and future research

Interventions

DRUGoral dexamethasone

Patients in group A will receive oral dexamethasone which will be administered at 0.6mg/kg as single dose

DRUGintramuscular dexamethasone

Patients in group B will receive intramuscular dexamethasone which will be administered in 0.6mg/kg strength as intra-gluteal injection as single dose

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE (Subject)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

2 Years to 12 Years

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* Patient age 2 to 12 years * Both genders * Diagnosed with croup as operational definitions

Exclusion criteria

* Patients with chronic pulmonary disease like tuberculosis, * Allergy or contraindication of corticosteroid (history of tuberous sclerosis, history of varicella infection during the past three weeks), to corticosteroids, * history of corticosteroid administration during the last four weeks, * foreign body * patients with immunodeficiency disorder

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Settlement of symptoms of Croup	within 24 hours	complete or partial settlement of symptoms i.e barking cough, inspiratory stridor, difficulty in breathing and hoarseness of voice.

Countries

Pakistan

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026