Some indications that a child has epiglottis and not croup are:

• A. Drooling and feeling better when exposed to cool air
• B. Straining to breathe and barking like a seal
• C. Drooling and straining to breathe
• D. Feeling sick in the evenings and barking

Answer: (C)

Distinguishing epiglottitis from croup hinges on signs of swallowing difficulty and airway distress. Epiglottitis causes painful swallowing and drooling, along with noticeable work of breathing. Croup, by contrast, features a barking cough and hoarseness, with symptoms often worse at night and without drooling. Feeling relief from cool air is more typical of croup and not a reliable sign of epiglottitis. So the combination of drooling (swallowing difficulty) and straining to breathe (airway obstruction) best points to epiglottitis rather than croup.