Croup in Spanish

What it means

Croup is an inflammation of the vocal cords (larynx) and windpipe (trachea) that causes difficulty breathing, a barking cough, and a hoarse voice. The cause is usually a virus. Croup often starts out like a cold, and then the vocal cords and windpipe become swollen; there may be a fever and high-pitched noisy sounds when breathing. Symptoms are usually worse at night and last for about three to five days. Children between the ages of 6 months and 3 years have the highest risk, and croup is more common in the fall and winter. Most cases of viral croup are mild, but rarely croup can become serious and interfere with a child's breathing. Bluish lips or a child struggling to breathe are emergency signs: call 911 in the U.S.

Croup in Spanish

Spanish term: Crup
Gender and article: masculine: el crup
Pronunciation: KROOP

Other Spanish terms	Where it is used	Note
laringotraqueobronquitis	General	The name MedlinePlus en español lists under "Otros nombres" for crup.
laringotraqueítis	General	Listed among the alternative names in the MedlinePlus en español encyclopedia article.

Crup is the word MedlinePlus en español uses, with the masculine article: el crup. The Real Academia Española dictionary records it as a masculine noun taken from English croup. Interpreters should know that the dictionary's own definition of crup is difteria (diphtheria), with garrotillo listed as a synonym, while MedlinePlus en español uses crup for the inflammation of the vocal cords and windpipe described on this page and gives laringotraqueobronquitis as another name for it.

The barking cough is tos perruna in the MedlinePlus en español encyclopedia, which also describes a cough that sounds like el ladrido de una foca (a seal barking); the health topic page says tos seca similar a la de los perros. The noisy breathing is estridor, explained in the encyclopedia as a harsh, shrill noise when breathing in. Other words on those pages are voz ronca (hoarse voice), ronquera (hoarseness) and tráquea (windpipe). The pages also name crup viral and crup espasmódico, a type that comes on suddenly.

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Patient	My daughter has a cough that sounds like barking, and her voice is hoarse.	Mi hija tiene una tos que suena como un ladrido, y tiene la voz ronca.
Clinician	When did the cough start? Did she have a cold first?	¿Cuándo empezó la tos? ¿Tuvo la niña un resfriado primero?
Patient	It started two nights ago, and it gets worse at night.	Empezó hace dos noches, y empeora por la noche.
Clinician	Does she make a noise when she breathes in?	¿Hace la niña algún ruido cuando inhala?
Clinician	Has she had a fever?	¿Ha tenido fiebre la niña?
Clinician	I am going to listen to her chest and look at her throat.	Voy a escucharle el pecho a la niña y a revisarle la garganta.
Patient	Is croup the same as diphtheria? I have heard both words.	¿El crup es lo mismo que la difteria? He oído las dos palabras.
Clinician	If her lips turn bluish or she is struggling to breathe, call 911 right away.	Si a la niña se le ponen los labios azulados o está luchando por respirar, llame al 911 de inmediato.

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Croup
Spanish (Español)	Crup
Chinese (中文)	哮吼
Korean (한국어)	크룹
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Viêm thanh khí quản
Filipino (Tagalog)	Croup
Portuguese (Português)	Crupe
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	โรคคอตีบชนิดไวรัส
Japanese (日本語)	クループ

Where you'll see it

pediatric visit notesemergency department noteschart

Related ICD-10-CM category

ICD-10-CM code: J05 → Acute obstructive laryngitis [croup] and epiglottitis

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: Lungs and breathing

All terms in this area: Lungs and breathing — Pulmones y respiración

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.