If there is swelling of anything inside the mouth or throat then airway obstruction can occur leading to death. Intubation via the oral route is frequently impossible and may be difficult via the nasal route as well. Once airway obstruction has reached a critical stage, manipulation of the airway could lead to worsening edema and lead to complete obstruction. Ideally a patient with angioedema should be intubated in the operating room with someone ready to perform an emergent tracheotomy or cricothyrotomy if needed. Patients with swelling of the lip, uvual, or who already have respiratory compromise need admission and anyone who has difficulty breathing, swallowing, or speaking should have an airway secured as soon as safely feasible.
Recovery usually occurs within a few days provided the causative substance is removed.
Both are more common in children but both can occur in adults. The onset is usually over 4-5 days at the end of an upper respiratory infection. The most important thing to remember with croup is that you must be sure that the patient doesn't really have epiglottitis which is usually a more serious condition. Epiglottis usually results from a bacterial infection, frequently Haemophilus influenzae. The onset is rapid and can progress to severe airway obstruction within 6-8 hours in infants though usually it takes longer in adults.