Infectious Diseases: Whooping Cough

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis is a highly infections bacterial disease which causes violent coughing spells. Constant, unstoppable coughing can make breathing very difficult. A whooping sound is frequently heard when the patient takes a breath.

Causes of whooping cough

Whooping cough is an upper respiratory infection caused by the Bordetella parapertussis or Bordetella pertussis bacteria. Pertussis is a severe disease that could cause unending disability for infants, and sometimes death. When the infected person coughs or sneezes, tiny droplets containing bacteria are expelled into the air; the disease is spread from one person to another. Whooping cough lasts for about 6 weeks; it can affect people of any age. Prior to vaccines being extensively available, this disease was the most common disease among young children and infants. Nowadays, most of the children are immunized prior to entering school, so now the higher percentage of cases of pertussis is seen among adults and adolescents.

Symptoms of whooping cough

The preliminary symptoms of whooping cough are similar to the common cold. The symptoms develop about one week after an individual comes into contact with the bacteria. Severe coughing episodes start within 10 to 12 days after being infected with the pertussis bacteria.

In children, coughing frequently ends with a "whoop" noise. This sound is created when the patient tries to breathe. The whooping noise is unusual in patients under the age of 6 months and in adults. Coughing spells can cause vomiting as the gag reflex is triggered, and the constant coughing without being able to take in a breath can cause the patient to lose consciousness.

Whooping cough will likely be suspected when there is a whooping sound and when there is vomiting due to coughing. Choking spells are quite common in babies with whooping cough. Other symptoms of pertussis include runny nose, diarrhea, and a fever up to 102 degrees Fahrenheit.

Diagnosis of whooping cough

An early diagnosis of whooping cough is based on the symptoms. Though, when the symptoms aren't clear, whooping cough can be difficult to diagnose. In extremely young infants, symptoms can be caused by pneumonia rather than whooping cough. To make a sure diagnosis, the health care provider will take a mucus sample from the nasal secretions and send it to the lab for testing. If the bacteria for pertussis are present, the diagnosis of whooping cough can be confirmed. The testing of the sputum (mucus) sample can take a few days, so the treatment is generally started immediately. If necessary, the treatment may need to be tweaked a little bit after the results come back from the sputum sample. A complete blood count (CBC) will be done, and if there is an infection there should be large numbers of lymphocytes in the blood.

Treatment for whooping cough

Treatment for whooping cough should be started in the early stages. Antibiotics such as erythromycin may decrease the symptoms very quickly. However, most patients are diagnosed quite late; if treated late; the antibiotic may not be as effective as when treated earlier. In any event, the antibiotics can help to reduce the patient's capability to pass on the disease to others.

Infants under the age of 18 months require constant supervision, because they can stop breathing during bad coughing spells. Infants with severe cases of whooping cough must be hospitalized. The baby will likely be placed in an oxygen tent under high humidity. IV fluids will be given when coughing spells interfere with the child's ability to drink sufficient fluids. Sedatives may also be prescribed to young children. Expectorants, cough syrups and cough suppressants are generally not very useful and probably wouldn't be prescribed.

Conclusion

Whooping cough can usually be prevented when given to infants and children. There are a series of vaccinations the child should be given. The first vaccination would be given at 2 months, the next at 4 months, and the next at 6 months. The last 2 vaccines are given between 15 and 18 months, and from 4 to 6 years of age.

Source:

Medline Plus

Mayo Clinic