Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Croup classification
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Croup is classified by severity of symptoms. The Westley Score system quantifies symptoms from a score of 0-5. The sum of the symptom score stratifies croup into mild, moderate, severe, or indicative of total respiratory failure.
Classification of Croup
Classification of Croup
Croup is classified by severity of symptoms through the Westley score of assessing croup severity, demonstrated in the table below:[1][2]
| Feature | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chest wall retraction | None | Mild | Moderate | Severe | ||
| Stridor | None | With agitation | At rest | |||
| Cyanosis | None | With agitation | At rest | |||
| Level of consciousness | Normal | Disoriented | ||||
| Air entry | Normal | Decreased | Markedly decreased |
The score is aggregated into a qualitative croup classification:[1][2]
| Classification | Score | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Mild | ≤2 | Characteristic barking cough and hoarseness |
| Moderate | 3-5 | Cough, hoarseness, and stridor |
| Severe | 6-11 | Cough, hoarseness, stridor, and visible chest indrawing |
| Respiratory Failure | ≥12 | Failure of respiratory system |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Luke Rusowicz-Orazem, B.S.