Croup often begins with rhinorrhoea, congestion or a mild cough, followed by a harsh, seal-like cough and hoarseness. Fever may be low grade. Symptoms commonly become more noticeable at night, and crying or agitation can intensify the stridor because increased airflow passes through an already narrowed segment. Stridor only when the child is upset is less concerning than stridor while the child is settled. Stridor at rest indicates more significant narrowing. For example, a child with a dramatic cough who is comfortable, pink and quiet between coughs may be less urgent than a child whose cough is modest but who has persistent inspiratory noise and suprasternal retractions while being held calmly. Clinical trajectory check Link new findings to the underlying process and the compensatory response that is succeeding or failing. Reassess objective trends such as perfusion, oxygenation, mental status, pain pattern, labs, and response to time-limited interventions so the next action reflects improvement or deterioration rather than a memorized label. For NCLEX-RN (Canada), items rarely announce the topic in the first sentence. Anchor to objective data, trajectory, and the safest...