A Two- Year- Old Child Presents to a Pediatric Practice

A two- year- old child presents to a pediatric practice with a barking cough and loud wheezing. The parent is alarmed and insists on antibiotics. What is the likely diagnosis, and are antibiotics appropriate?

A) croup / no, most cases are viral
B) epiglottitis / yes, this is a life- threatening bacterial infection
C) allergies / no, allergies are caused by irritants and are not infections
D) sinusitis / no, most cases are due to viral infections or irritants
E) pneumonia / yes, this can be a life- threatening condition and is often bacterial