The use of
corticosteroids to treat laryngotracheobronchitis (
croup) is controversial. Although some evidence supports the efficacy of treating hospitalized patients with
croup, there is no published information on the use of
corticosteroids in the outpatient population. We sought to determine what the current practice in the use of
corticosteroids to treat
croup was in our community. One hundred thirty-eight questionnaires were mailed to pediatricians and family practitioners in our geographic region. One hundred twelve surveys were completed and returned. The majority of responding physicians used
corticosteroids to treat both inpatients and outpatients with
croup at least some of the time. A significantly greater percentage used them to treat hospitalized patients (93%) compared with nonhospitalized patients (68%). The
drug used by the majority of respondents was
dexamethasone (87% in treating inpatients, 56% in treating outpatients). The initial dosage, cumulative dosage, number of doses, and route of administration varied greatly among the respondents. This survey demonstrates that most physicians in our area are using
corticosteroids to treat both hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients with
croup. However, the form of
drug used, dosing regimen, and route of administration are highly variable. This survey highlights the need for clinical studies to assess the efficacy of using
corticosteroids to treat outpatients with
croup and to determine how best to use them.