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By: Melanie Dominguez. Whooping Cough (Pertussis) .
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By: Melanie Dominguez Whooping Cough(Pertussis)
Pertussis, or commonly known as whooping cough, is a bacterial respiratory infection that is spread from person to person through the air when an infected individual coughs or sneezes. It causes severe coughing spells that usually end in a whooping sound and lasts about 6 weeks. What is Pertussis?
Who does it affect? Although anyone can get whooping cough, it affects infants and young children more severely. With immunizations, less and less cases of pertussis are reported.
Signs and Symptoms In the early stages, it may seem like a common cold: • Runny nose • Sneezing • Mild cough • Low grade fever About 1 to 2 weeks later, the cough develops into dry, coughing spells, which can last for more than a minute and may cause the child to turn red or purple due to a lack of oxygen. The end of the spell is sometimes characterized with a whooping sound when breathing and the child may even vomit.
Treatment If treated early enough, antibiotics will help make symptoms go away more quickly. If treated too late, it may only stop the spreading of the infection to other people. Infants must be watched more carefully. • An oxygen tent with high humidity may be used • If coughing makes it difficult to keep hydrated, fluids may be given through a vein • Sedatives may be prescribed for young children *do not use over the counter coughing medicines*
The outcome is usually good for older children and adults that become infected with pertussis. As for infants, they need to be monitored more closely because of the high risk of death from not being able to breathe. Prognosis
EC Professional? As an early childhood professional it is important to: • Be vaccinated so you don’t spread the infection to your children • Constantly monitor the health of the students (if you are a teacher) for prevention • Take note on any changes of the development of the cough if its originally perceived to be the common cold • Inform the parents if you suspect the child may have whooping cough and advise seeking medical treatment as soon as possible
YaminiDurani, Elana Pearl & Ben-Joseph(2012, December). Infections: Whooping Cough (pertussis). Retrieved from http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/whooping_cough.html# Neil K. Kaneshiro(2011, August 2). Pertusis. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002528/ References