Pertussis

Whooping cough, known medically as pertussis, is a highly contagious respiratory tract infection. Although it initially resembles an ordinary cold, whooping cough may eventually turn more serious, particularly in infants. In the more advanced stages, it's marked by a severe, hacking cough followed by a high-pitched intake of breath that sounds like "whoop."

The incidence of whooping cough has been increasing, primarily among children too young to have completed the full course of vaccinations and teenagers whose immunity has faded.

With proper care, most teenagers and adults recover from whooping cough without complications. Whooping cough is more serious in children, especially infants younger than 6 months of age.

Early signs and symptoms
Once you become infected with the bacterium that causes whooping cough, it takes about three to 12 days for signs and symptoms to appear. They're usually mild at first and resemble those of a common cold, such as:

• A runny nose
• Nasal congestion
• Sneezing
• Red, watery eyes
• A mild fever
• Dry cough
• General feeling of being unwell and loss of appetite

Later stage signs and symptoms
After a week or two, signs and symptoms become worse and usually include:

• Severe coughing attacks that bring up thick phlegm
• Coughing attacks, up to 15 coughs in a row, that end with a high-pitched "whoop" sound during the next breath of air
• In children, severe coughing that leads to vomiting or causes a red or blue face from the effort
• Fatigue from the exertion of coughing

Coughing characteristics
In adults, signs and symptoms of whooping cough may resemble those of bronchitis, a respiratory infection that causes a nagging cough. Babies and infants with whooping cough may not whoop at all, or at least not as loudly as older children do. Some children with whooping cough may experience choking spells and turn blue in the face as they struggle to breathe after extended coughing.

Severe coughing can result in tiny red spots caused by ruptures in blood vessels at the skin's surface (petechiae) in the upper body, as well as small areas of bleeding in the whites of the eyes. You may even bruise or break a rib if your coughing episodes are severe. Coughing may be worse at night.

Whooping cough is a respiratory infection affecting mostly the windpipe (trachea) and the tubes branching off from the windpipe (bronchi). It's caused by the Bordetella pertussis bacterium, which is transmitted through droplets that are coughed or sneezed into the air by someone who's already infected. Whooping cough is most contagious early on, but the possibility of spreading the illness remains until the infection clears completely.

Once inside your airways, the bacteria multiply and produce toxins that interfere with your respiratory tract's ability to sweep away germs. Thick mucus accumulates inside your airways, causing uncontrollable coughing.

The bacteria also cause inflammation that narrows breathing tubes in your lungs. This narrowing leaves you gasping for air, sucking in air with a high-pitched "whoop", after a fit of coughing.

Some people think of whooping cough as having gone the way of polio, a childhood disease eradicated thanks to a vaccination campaign. But whooping cough hasn't been wiped out. In fact, the number of reported cases in the United States has been increasing since a historic low of approximately 1,000 cases in 1976. In 2004, more than 25,000 cases were reported, the largest number since the 1950s, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Whooping cough is thought to be on the rise for two reasons. The whooping cough vaccine you receive as a child eventually wears off, leaving most teenagers and adults susceptible to the infection during an outbreak, and there continue to be regular outbreaks. In addition, children aren't fully immune to whooping cough until they've received at least three shots, leaving those 6 months and younger at greatest risk of getting the infection.

Call your doctor immediately if you experience prolonged, severe coughing spells, especially if these spells make you turn red or blue, are followed by vomiting or occur together with a whooping sound when inhaling. Call your child's doctor if your child experiences any of the same symptoms.

In addition, call your doctor if you or your child has been exposed to someone with whooping cough, even if you've been vaccinated. You or your child may need treatment with antibiotics or perhaps a booster of whooping cough vaccine to prevent infection.

Diagnosing whooping cough in its early stages can be difficult. That's because the signs and symptoms resemble those of other common respiratory illnesses, such as a cold, the flu or bronchitis.

Sometimes, doctors diagnose whooping cough simply by asking about symptoms and listening to the cough. Medical tests may be needed to confirm the diagnosis. Such tests may include:

• A nose or throat culture and test. Your doctor takes a nose or throat swab or suction sample. The sample is then sent to a lab and tested for whooping cough bacteria.
• Blood tests. A blood sample may be drawn and sent to a lab to check for a high white blood cell count. White blood cells help the body fight infections, such as whooping cough. A high white cell count typically indicates the presence of infection or inflammation. This is a general test and not specific for whooping cough, however.
• A chest X-ray. Your doctor may order an X-ray to check for the presence of fluid in your lungs, which can occur when pneumonia complicates whooping cough and other respiratory infections.

If whooping cough is the diagnosis, your doctor will advise you to avoid contact with others during recovery because the condition is highly contagious. Don't return to work until your doctor approves. For the same reason, don't take your child with whooping cough to school or child care until your child's doctor gives the OK. In general, children should stay out of school while they are taking antibiotics for pertussis.

Your doctor will also notify health authorities who keep track of whooping cough outbreaks.

Teenagers and adults usually recover from whooping cough with no complications.

If complications occur, at worst, they include coughing that may lead to:

• A bruised or broken rib
• Hernia, an abnormal protrusion of a loop of intestine through a weak area of abdominal muscle

Children
Children with whooping cough also may:

• Injure the muscles of the chest wall
• Develop a hernia

Infants
In infants, especially those under 6 months of age, complications from whooping cough are more severe and may include:

• Ear infections
• Pneumonia
• Slowed or stopped breathing
• Dehydration
• Seizures
• Brain damage

Because infants and toddlers are at greatest risk of complications from whooping cough, they're more likely to need treatment in a hospital. In infants under 6 months of age, complications can be life-threatening.

Treatment for whooping cough varies, depending on your age and the severity of signs and symptoms.

Older children, teens and adults
When whooping cough is diagnosed early in older children, teenagers and adults, doctors usually prescribe bed rest along with an antibiotic such as azithromycin or erythromycin. Although antibiotics won't cure whooping cough, they can shorten the duration of the illness and they shorten the period of communicability. If there is a confirmed diagnosis but a slow response to antibiotic therapy, it may be necessary to take the antibiotic for at least two weeks or longer.

If the illness has progressed to the point of severe coughing spells, antibiotics aren't as effective but may still be used. Unfortunately, not much is available in the way of symptom relief. Over-the-counter cough medicines, for instance, have little effect on whooping cough. A case of whooping cough usually resolves in six weeks but may last longer.

Infants and toddlers
Almost all infants with whooping cough who are younger than 3 months, as well as many older babies, are admitted to the hospital to decrease the risk of serious complications. Most babies treated for whooping cough overcome the condition without lasting effects, but the risk of complications exists until the infection clears.

In the hospital, your child is likely to receive intravenous antibiotics to treat the infection and perhaps corticosteroid drugs, which help reduce airway inflammation. Sometimes a child's airway may also be suctioned to remove mucus that's blocking it. Your child's breathing will be carefully monitored in case extra oxygen is needed.

If your child can't keep down liquids or food, intravenous fluids may be necessary. In some cases, prescription sedatives will help your child rest. Your child will also be isolated from others to prevent.

Healthy Trust Immediate Medical Care serves the Chicago North Shore Communities of Lake County, Wheeling, Prospect Heights, Lincolnshire, Deerfield, Buffalo Grove, Northbrook, Highland Park, Long Grove, Riverwoods, Des Plaines, Palatine, Glenview, Highwood, Northfield, Libertyville, Winnetka, Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, Mundelein, and Bannockburn.