home Consultations Symptoms of whooping cough in children. Convulsive infectious cough - whooping cough in children: symptoms and treatment, prevention, photos of signs of the disease

Symptoms of whooping cough in children. Convulsive infectious cough - whooping cough in children: symptoms and treatment, prevention, photos of signs of the disease

– spicy infection bacterial nature, manifested in the form of spasmodic coughing attacks accompanying catarrhal symptoms. Whooping cough infection occurs through aerosol transmission through close contact with a sick person. The incubation period is 3-14 days. Catarrhal period whooping cough resembles symptoms acute pharyngitis, then characteristic attacks of spasmodic cough develop. Vaccinated people often have a blurred clinical picture of whooping cough. Diagnosis is based on identifying whooping cough bacillus in throat swabs and sputum. Effective against whooping cough antibacterial therapy(aminoglycosides, macrolides), antihistamines with sedative effects, inhalations.

ICD-10

A37

General information

– an acute infectious disease of a bacterial nature, manifested in the form of attacks of spasmodic cough accompanying catarrhal symptoms.

Characteristics of the pathogen

Whooping cough is caused by Bordetella pertussis, a small, non-motile, aerobic, gram-negative coccus (although the bacterium is traditionally called “whooping cough bacillus”). The microorganism is similar in its morphological characteristics to the causative agent of parapertussis (an infection with similar but less pronounced symptoms) - Bordetella parapertussis. Pertussis produces a heat-labile dermatonecrotoxin, a heat-stable endotoxin, and a tracheal cytotoxin. The microorganism is little resistant to the influence of the external environment; it remains viable when exposed to direct sunlight no more than 1 hour, dies in 15-30 minutes at a temperature of 56 ° C, easily destroyed by disinfectants. They remain viable for several hours in dry sputum.

The reservoir and source of pertussis infection is a sick person. The contagious period includes the last days of incubation and 5-6 days after the onset of the disease. The peak of infectiousness occurs at the time of the most pronounced clinical manifestations. Persons suffering from erased, clinically mild forms of infection pose an epidemiological danger. Carriage of whooping cough does not last long and is not epidemiologically significant.

Whooping cough is transmitted via an aerosol mechanism, predominantly by airborne droplets. Heavy discharge pathogen occurs when coughing and sneezing. Due to its specificity, the aerosol with the pathogen spreads over a short distance (no more than 2 meters), so infection is possible only in case of close contact with the patient. Since the pathogen does not persist in the external environment for a long time, contact transmission is not realized.

Humans are highly susceptible to whooping cough. Children most often get sick (whooping cough is classified as a childhood infection). After an infection, stable lifelong immunity is formed, but the antibodies received by the child from the mother transplacentally do not provide sufficient immune defense. In old age there are sometimes cases repeated illness whooping cough

Pathogenesis of whooping cough

The pertussis bacillus gets onto the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract and populates the ciliated epithelium covering the larynx and bronchi. Bacteria do not penetrate deep tissues and do not spread throughout the body. Bacterial toxins provoke a local inflammatory reaction.

After the bacteria die, endotoxin is released, which causes the spasmodic cough characteristic of whooping cough. With progression, the cough acquires a central genesis - a focus of excitation is formed in the respiratory center of the medulla oblongata. Cough occurs reflexively in response to various irritants (touch, pain, laughter, conversation, etc.). Excitation nerve center may contribute to the initiation of similar processes in neighboring areas of the medulla oblongata, causing reflex vomiting, vascular dystonia(increased blood pressure, vascular spasm) after a cough attack. Children may experience seizures (tonic or clonic).

Pertussis endotoxin, together with the enzyme adenylate cyclase produced by bacteria, helps reduce protective properties organism, which increases the likelihood of developing a secondary infection, as well as the spread of the pathogen, and in some cases, long-term carriage.

Whooping cough symptoms

The incubation period for whooping cough can last from 3 days to two weeks. The disease occurs in successive stages next periods: catarrhal, spasmodic cough and resolution. The catarrhal period begins gradually, a moderate dry cough and runny nose appear (in children, rhinorrhea can be quite pronounced). Rhinitis is accompanied by a viscous, mucous discharge. Intoxication and fever are usually absent, body temperature can rise to subfebrile levels, and patients consider their general condition to be satisfactory. Over time, the cough becomes frequent and persistent, and attacks may occur (especially at night). This period can last from several days to two weeks. In children it is usually short-lived.

Gradually, the catarrhal period turns into a period of spasmodic cough (otherwise - convulsive cough). Coughing attacks become more frequent, more intense, and the cough becomes convulsive and spastic in nature. Patients may note the warning signs of an attack - sore throat, chest discomfort, anxiety. Due to spastic narrowing of the glottis, a whistling sound (reprise) is noted before inhalation. A coughing attack is an alternation of such whistling breaths and, in fact, coughing shocks. The severity of whooping cough is determined by the frequency and duration of coughing attacks.

Attacks become more frequent at night and in the morning. Frequent stress causes the patient's face to become hyperemic and swollen, and minor hemorrhages may be observed on the skin of the face and mucous membrane of the oropharynx and conjunctiva. Body temperature remains within normal limits. Fever with whooping cough is a sign of a secondary infection.

The period of spasmodic cough lasts from three weeks to a month, after which the disease enters the recovery (resolution) phase: when coughing, mucous sputum begins to be coughed up, attacks become less frequent, lose their spasmodic nature and gradually stop. The duration of the resolution period can take from several days to several months (despite the subsidence of the main symptoms, nervous excitability, coughing and general asthenia can be observed in patients for a long time).

An erased form of whooping cough is sometimes observed in vaccinated individuals. In this case, spasmodic attacks are less pronounced, but the cough may be longer and more difficult to treat. There are no reprises, vomiting, or vascular spasms. The subclinical form is sometimes found in the focus of pertussis infection when examining contact persons. Subjectively, patients do not note any pathological symptoms, but a periodic cough can often be noted. The abortive form is characterized by the cessation of the disease at the stage of catarrhal signs or in the first days of the convulsive period and rapid regression of the clinic.

Diagnosis of whooping cough

Specific diagnosis of whooping cough is made by bacteriological methods: isolation of the pathogen from sputum and smears of the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract (bacterial culture on a nutrient medium). Pertussis bacillus is sown on Bordet-Gengou medium. Serological diagnosis with the help of RA, RSK, RNGA is performed to confirm the clinical diagnosis, since reactions become positive no earlier than the second week of the convulsive period of the disease (and in some cases can give negative result and at a later date).

Nonspecific diagnostic techniques indicate signs of infection (lymphocytic leukocytosis in the blood), characterized by slight increase in ESR. If complications develop from the respiratory system, patients with whooping cough are recommended to consult a pulmonologist and perform an X-ray of the lungs.

Complications of whooping cough

Whooping cough most often causes complications associated with the addition of a secondary infection; diseases of the respiratory system are especially common: bronchitis, pneumonia, pleurisy. As a result of the destructive activity of whooping cough bacteria, the development of emphysema is possible. Severe current in in rare cases leads to pulmonary atelectasis, pneumothorax. In addition, whooping cough can contribute to the occurrence of suppurative otitis media. There is a possibility (with frequent intense attacks) of stroke, muscle rupture abdominal wall, eardrums, rectal prolapse, hemorrhoids. In children early age Whooping cough may contribute to the development of bronchiectasis.

Treatment of whooping cough

Whooping cough is treated on an outpatient basis; it is advisable for patients to breathe humidified, oxygen-rich air at room temperature. A nutritious, fractional meal (often in small portions) is recommended. It is recommended to limit exposure to the nervous system (intense visual and auditory impressions). If the temperature remains within normal limits, it is advisable to walk more in the fresh air (however, at an air temperature of at least -10 ° C).

In the catarrhal period, it is effective to prescribe antibiotics (macrolides, aminoglycosides, ampicillin or chloramphenicol) in average therapeutic dosages for courses of 6-7 days. In combination with antibiotics, the administration of specific anti-pertussis gammaglobulin is often prescribed in the first days. As a pathogenetic agent, patients are prescribed antihistamines With sedative effect(promethazine, mebhydrolin). During the convulsive period, antispasmodics can be prescribed to relieve attacks, in severe cases– neuroleptics.

Antitussives, expectorants and mucolytics for whooping cough are ineffective; antitussives with central mechanism actions are contraindicated. Oxygen therapy is recommended for patients, good effect noted during oxygen barotherapy. Physiotherapeutic techniques and inhalation of proteolytic enzymes are successfully used.

The prognosis is favorable. It ends fatally in exceptional cases in individuals old age. If complications develop, long-term consequences and chronic lung diseases may persist.

Prevention of whooping cough

Specific prevention of whooping cough is carried out as planned. Vaccination of children is carried out using the DTP vaccine. Vaccination against whooping cough begins at the age of 3 months, the vaccine is administered three times with an interval of one and a half months. Children over 3 years of age are not vaccinated. General preventive measures include early detection patients and monitoring the health status of contact persons, preventive examination of children in organized children's groups, as well as adults working in medical and preventive hospitals and in children's preschool institutions and in schools, if a prolonged cough is detected (more than 5-7 days).

Children (and adults from the above groups) with whooping cough are isolated for 25 days from the onset of the disease, contact persons are suspended from work and visits children's group for 14 days from the moment of contact, undergoing a double bacteriological test. The source of infection is thoroughly disinfected and appropriate quarantine measures are taken. Emergency prevention produced by administering immunoglobulin. It is given to children in the first year of life, as well as unvaccinated persons who have had contact with a person with whooping cough. Immunoglobulin (3 ml) is administered once, regardless of the period that has passed since the moment of contact.

ICD-10 code

Whooping cough is classified as a childhood disease, but people of any age can get it. Another thing is how the disease will progress and how dangerous the consequences can be in case of complications. In this sense, children under two years of age are at greatest risk. This article will provide clear information about what this infectious disease is and how to treat whooping cough in adults and especially in children.

Medical history

It is very likely that this disease was known in ancient times. Thus, there is evidence that in the works of Hippocrates and then Avicenna, symptoms of a disease very similar to whooping cough were described. But this is a controversial issue, but the description of whooping cough by Guillain de Bayot in 1578, who observed an epidemic of the disease in Paris, which then claimed many lives, is known for certain. Somewhat later, information about outbreaks appeared similar disease in England and Holland. They didn’t yet know how whooping cough was treated, since nothing was known about what exactly causes this dangerous disease.

Causative agent of whooping cough

The causative agent of the disease was isolated from the sputum of a sick child only in 1906 by scientists J. Bordet and O. Zhangou. This is a rod-shaped microorganism with rounded edges, immobile and does not form spores, transmitted by airborne droplets and infecting the bronchial epithelium. The entry point for this infection is the upper respiratory tract. At the genetic level, the bacterium is similar to the parawhooping cough bacillus, which causes a disease similar to whooping cough, but a milder one.

The pertussis bacillus is very demanding on environmental conditions, and therefore is extremely unstable outside the human body and quickly dies under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, disinfectants, elevated (more than +55 ºС) temperature. Therefore, household items, as a rule, are not contagious, but only a sick person can be infected, regardless of how this pathology progresses in him.

At the same time, to transmit the disease, fairly close contact is necessary, since, not being volatile, the whooping cough bacterium does not spread even from one room to another, scattering around the patient no further than 2 meters. When pertussis (bordetella) enters the human body, it produces toxins that cause symptoms characteristic of the disease.

Symptoms

Before finding out how whooping cough is treated, you need to familiarize yourself with the signs and characteristics of this disease. Its main symptom is specific cough, but it does not appear immediately. As with any infection, the progression of this disease occurs in several stages. The incubation period for whooping cough averages a week, but can be shorter or longer. The prodromal (catarrhal) period has the same symptoms as acute respiratory infections. There may be no temperature at all, the cough is dry, moderate; possible runny nose, laryngitis. There are no signs of body intoxication. During this period, which lasts about two weeks, the patient is most contagious; he, unaware of whooping cough, is able to infect everyone around him. The nature of the cough gradually changes, it is not affected by any traditional symptomatic drugs, and when the spasmodic period of the disease begins, it is so characteristic that there are no longer problems with making a diagnosis.

Attacks of convulsive cough are characterized by short coughing impulses. They follow one after another as you exhale, not giving the patient the opportunity to inhale for a sufficiently long time. When this is finally achieved, air rushes through the narrowed glottis with a whistling sound typical of the disease, called reprise. Next, the cycle of “cough shocks - reprise” is repeated from 2 to 15 times, the attack can last 1-5 minutes and ends with the release of a large amount of viscous sputum, and often vomiting. The number of attacks, depending on the severity of the disease, can be from 10 to 25 per day, most often at night and in the morning. The doctor, having heard such a cough, no longer doubts that the disease is whooping cough. How to treat depends on many nuances, but more on that later.

Before attacks, which may vary in severity, a person may feel discomfort and anxiety, and a sore throat. In severe cases, during a convulsive cough, the patient's face turns red, the veins swell, tears flow from the eyes, and the tongue protrudes so far forward that this can lead to rupture of the frenulum. Hemorrhages on the face and conjunctiva of the eyes are possible. Between attacks, the patient usually feels completely normal.

The most dangerous thing about such attacks, especially for young children, is oxygen starvation, up to holding and stopping breathing, when you have to literally resuscitate the child: suck out the mucus from the nose and throat, do Parents who are in a panic are hardly capable of these actions, and most of them have no idea how to treat whooping cough in children at home conditions, therefore young children who are suspected of this disease must be hospitalized.

The spasmodic period of the disease can last from 2 to 8 weeks. Gradually, the frequency and severity of attacks weaken, but with the accumulation of other infections, coughing may resume. Period residual effects lasts another 2-3 weeks, and sometimes longer. It is not for nothing that in some countries whooping cough is called the “hundred-day cough” - this disease really progresses very slowly.

What happens in the body

Once on the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract, the pathogen multiplies there and irritates the ciliated epithelium of the bronchi, trachea and larynx, thereby causing spasm. In this case, bacteria do not enter the bloodstream and do not spread throughout the body. Subsequently, the local irritation of the receptors is accompanied by a disturbance at the level of the central nervous system, namely the formation of a focus of excitation in the respiratory center of the brain. As a result, coughing attacks can occur in response to any irritant: bright light, loud noise, pain syndrome. This should always be remembered if the question arises of how to treat a cough with whooping cough - sometimes an attack can be prevented.

Excitation can also affect other centers of the brain: vomiting, vascular, and the center of skeletal muscles. Therefore, after a coughing attack, vomiting is common, and there are vascular spasms and convulsions. Due to hypoxia, oxygen metabolism in the body is disrupted. In addition to all of the above, whooping cough toxin has a depressing effect on blood cells, thereby disrupting the functioning of immune system. In this state, it is quite possible for a secondary infection to develop, and this expresses another insidiousness of this disease.

Diagnosis of whooping cough

A preliminary diagnosis of whooping cough can be made based on the clinical picture, but it requires mandatory confirmation by laboratory tests. The matter is complicated by the fact that the bacterium is sown only in the prodromal period and when the cough has just begun. But at the very beginning of the disease, the symptoms are too general to suspect whooping cough - unless the fact of contact with the sick person is known. And at the height of the disease, when there is no longer any doubt, the bacteria are no longer sown - as a rule, 4 weeks after the onset of the disease, the patient no longer poses a danger to others.

Among the symptoms, in addition to coughing, there are changes in the lungs, noticeable on X-ray, as well as moderate leukocytosis (due to an increase in the number of lymphocytes) in the blood, but these data are not absolute confirmation of the diagnosis. On later diseases, serological methods are used to detect antibodies. Currently, methods for the rapid diagnosis of whooping cough have been developed, allowing a correct diagnosis to be made in the shortest possible time.

Forms of the disease

The typical form of whooping cough is one whose symptoms include attacks of spasmodic coughing. But there are also atypical types of the disease that are easier to tolerate, but are certainly dangerous in epidemiological terms, since it never occurs to anyone to isolate the sick person in time. For example, an erased form, in which the disease is accompanied by a completely “ordinary” cough, perhaps more intrusive, but there is no spasmodic period.

The abortive form of whooping cough begins typically, but after some time it quickly breaks off, and the convulsive cough lasts no longer than 1 week. There is also a completely asymptomatic type of whooping cough that occurs in vaccinated children and adults. At the same time, along with complete absence symptoms, the pathogen is seeded.

Actually, it is not entirely typical, but the disease is very severe in children under 1 year of age. As a rule, the incubation and catarrhal periods are shortened, and the convulsive period lasts longer. In this case, a spasmodic cough with reprises as such may be absent. The attacks are expressed in anxiety, screaming, and extremely dangerous breath-holding.

Depending on the number of coughing attacks and the presence of accompanying phenomena, such as respiratory arrest, convulsions, facial cyanosis, cardiovascular disorders, respiratory failure, secrete different shapes diseases: from mild (no more than 15 attacks per day) to severe (over 25).

Complications

Specific complications of whooping cough include the appearance of umbilical and inguinal hernias, hemorrhages, respiratory rhythm disturbances, cerebral circulation, encephalopathy. Nonspecific complications are associated with the addition of a secondary bacterial infection. This can be pneumonia, bronchitis, otitis, tonsillitis, etc.

Treatment of whooping cough: antibiotics

Now that it is clear what causes and threatens such an infectious disease as whooping cough, how to treat the symptoms, or at least alleviate them, is a completely logical question. Only young children or those with a severe form of the disease or in the presence of complications are hospitalized with a diagnosis of whooping cough. Others need to know how to treat whooping cough at home. However, the concept of “treat” in the sense of using medications for whooping cough is not entirely appropriate. Of course, like any bacterial infection, the causative agent of whooping cough is destroyed by antibiotics. But these remedies are effective only in the initial stage of this disease.

If the fact of communication between a child or an adult and an already ill person is known, then information about what antibiotics are used to treat whooping cough early stage will undoubtedly be useful. Pertussis bacillus is destroyed by erythromycin, ampicillin, tetracycline and chloramphenicol, while penicillin is completely powerless against this bacterium. The use of these drugs during the catarrhal period of the disease is quite capable of stopping the development of the disease without leading to a spasmodic period.

Perhaps the only case when antibiotics can be used for prophylactic purposes is known fact contact with someone who is already sick. This will allow timely destruction of the pathogen, preventing it from colonizing the epithelium of the respiratory system. In his articles and interviews, outlining how to treat whooping cough in children, E. O. Komarovsky, a now very popular pediatrician, draws the attention of parents to this.

But later the whooping cough bacillus already leaves the body, and the cause of the attacks lies in the “head”, namely in the damage to the cells of the cough center. Therefore, during the period of spasmodic cough, using antibiotics, unless we are talking about emerging bronchopulmonary complications, is no longer advisable and even dangerous, since their influence in itself can provoke a more severe course of the disease. How whooping cough is treated in its later stages is described in detail below.

Other medicines

The doctor may prescribe medications to improve bronchial obstruction and relieve bronchospasm, for example, the drug "Eufillin". Antitussives and mucolytics, due to their ineffectiveness, are practically not used. Hormones are prescribed if the disease is complicated by respiratory arrest, in the presence of encephalic disorders; Antihistamines are also used in treatment. Sedatives are used for mild forms of the disease, or even psychotropic medications for severe cases of the disease. If the disease has become severe, medications that improve cerebral circulation and immunotherapy may be appropriate to reduce the effects of hypoxia. Anyway medicines are prescribed only by a doctor, even if we're talking about about how to treat whooping cough at home.

Creating conditions for recovery

Unfortunately, medicine does not have methods that can cure whooping cough overnight if the disease has already entered the phase of spasmodic cough. How is whooping cough treated if antibiotics are powerless because there are no longer pathogens in the body? You can and should strive to alleviate attacks and prevent complications. To do this, certain conditions must be met. Explaining how to treat whooping cough, Komarovsky pays special attention to these circumstances.

So, it is extremely important that the air in the room is humid, cool, and the environment is calm. As a rule, between attacks the child feels quite healthy, so it is necessary to spend as much time as possible, calling on all relatives for help, outside, if the weather permits: there is no severe frost or, conversely, dry heat. At the same time, you should avoid physical activity and active games.

Interestingly, you can reduce the excitation of the cough center and thus significantly speed up recovery if you create another focus in the brain, no less active, with the help of strong positive emotions. In the case of children, new toys, distracting activities, and recreational trips are suitable.

Special attention will have to be paid to eating. A sick child should be fed in small portions, after chopping the food first. If an attack with vomiting follows after eating, it is worth feeding him after 10-15 minutes - there is a possibility that subsequent attacks will be milder.

Patients often complain that the residual dry cough after whooping cough does not go away for a very long time. How to treat it if the usual symptomatic remedies absolutely powerless? First of all, be patient and try by all means to clean and moisten the air you inhale, if possible, visit bodies of water more often or simply be in the fresh air.

How to treat whooping cough with folk remedies

One of the ancient methods is to use garlic for whooping cough. Moreover, it is used both internally and its smell is inhaled by hanging several cloves around the neck. Traditional medicine also suggests drinking milk boiled with garlic, and also rubbing the patient’s chest with a paste of garlic and pork fat, make compresses from a garlic-honey mixture.

Of course, there are many recipes for treating whooping cough in children. folk remedies with the help of herbs. Actually, these methods are also appropriate for adults. The most commonly mentioned plants are thyme, violet, marshmallow root, thyme herb, plantain, coltsfoot, from which infusions and decoctions are prepared. In general, for whooping cough, traditional medicine recommends almost the same remedies as for any cough. Among the recipes there is a decoction of figs in milk and honey. It seems that it is better not to use all methods separately, but to use them together with the treatment recommendations already outlined.

Prevention

If you suspect whooping cough, the patient must first be isolated, keeping in mind the exceptional contagiousness of this disease. It is believed that the only method of preventing whooping cough is vaccination. In Russia, it has been practiced since 1965 to vaccinate children under 3 years of age. However, vaccination does not guarantee lifelong immunity. There is also no innate passive protection against the disease - even a newborn can become infected. But after suffering whooping cough once, a strong immunity is already formed - people rarely get sick with this disease again.

Telling how to treat whooping cough in children, E. O. Komarovsky draws attention to the fact that vaccination provides immunity only for a few years, but thereby protects children at the age when the disease is most dangerous for them. However, in fairness, we cannot fail to mention that the most severe complications are observed with the DTP vaccine, which is why developments are constantly underway to make the whooping cough vaccine safer for children.

Whooping cough is one of the airborne diseases, the main symptom of which is a spasmodic cough. The prevalence of whooping cough in our country is last years began to increase, which is due, among other things, to the increasing number of refusals and unfounded medical withdrawals from preventive vaccinations.

It is important for everyone to know the main symptoms of whooping cough in order to contact a specialist in time to prescribe the correct treatment.

Causes of whooping cough

Infection with whooping cough is possible only from a person - a patient (in any form, including a mild, erased version of whooping cough) or a carrier (rarely). Patients are most contagious in the initial period, when whooping cough is very difficult to suspect.

The susceptibility of children to whooping cough in the absence of vaccinations is close to 100%, that is, after contact with a sick child, a child who has not been vaccinated against the disease will almost certainly get sick.

After past illness immunity is formed, which was previously considered stable for life, but now this position is disputed by some researchers. But, in any case, a child who has had whooping cough once (or has been vaccinated against it) will have minimal chances of getting sick in the future, and if he does get sick, it will be in a mild form.

Whooping cough symptoms

The incubation period (when the pathogen has already entered the body, but symptoms have not yet appeared) is, according to various sources, from 2 to 20 days, on average about a week. At the end of incubation, whooping cough proper begins, which is characterized by a cyclic course with a sequential change of three periods of the disease: catarrhal, spasmodic and resolution period.

Catarrhal period

The duration of the catarrhal period is 1-2 weeks; in vaccinated children it can be extended to 3 weeks. The child's condition is satisfactory, his health is not affected, his body temperature usually does not rise, and low-grade fever is possible (temperature within 37.5 °C). The constant and often the only symptom is a non-productive (without sputum discharge), sometimes obsessive cough, mainly in the evening and at night. main feature– the cough is persistent and continues to get worse despite treatment.

Spasmodic period

A typical manifestation of whooping cough is a debilitating paroxysmal cough.

Gradually, the cough acquires a paroxysmal character - a spasmodic period begins - the height of the disease, fraught with the development of complications, especially dangerous for children in the first year of life.

Coughing attacks with whooping cough are very peculiar; nothing similar is observed in any other diseases. On one exhalation, the child “comes into a fit” with a whole series of coughing impulses, after which a convulsive, whistling inhalation occurs (reprise), then on exhalation, another cough, etc. An attack of a series of coughing impulses, interspersed with reprises, can last for several minutes and ends with the discharge of viscous transparent or whitish sputum; vomiting is typical at the end of the attack. Involuntary urination or bowel movements may occur.

Characteristic appearance a child during a coughing attack: he sticks out his tongue strongly, his face becomes puffy, turns red and then becomes burgundy-bluish, his lips turn blue, tears flow from his eyes. The veins in the neck swell and sweating increases. Often, due to overexertion, hemorrhages occur in the sclera, skin of the face and upper half of the body (small red dots on the skin and burst blood vessels in the whites of the eyes).

The duration of the spasmodic period is from 2 weeks to a month. If there are no complications, then outside of a coughing attack, the children’s condition is normal, the temperature is not elevated. Children are active, play, and do not refuse food.

In severe forms of whooping cough, the frequency of attacks can reach 30 or more per day, due to which sleep is disturbed, shortness of breath appears, appetite is reduced, and complications develop more often. The face is constantly swollen, with hemorrhages on the skin and sclera.

Resolution period

Very slowly, coughing attacks begin to subside, their severity and duration decrease, and the intervals between coughing paroxysms increase - the spasmodic period turns into a period of resolution, which lasts another 1-2 months. The total duration of whooping cough can thus reach 3 months or even more, about a third of which the child suffers from painful attacks cough.

Erased forms of whooping cough in vaccinated children

As already mentioned, vaccinated children, if they get whooping cough, do so in a mild form. They do not have debilitating cough paroxysms, but an unproductive cough (or coughing) is persistent, disturbing the child for a month or longer.

Symptoms that are almost identical to those of the erased form of whooping cough have parawhooping cough: a disease caused by a similar pathogen. with parawhooping cough, it is also long-lasting and can be paroxysmal, but the attacks themselves are much easier. Complications from parawhooping cough are unlikely.

Complications of whooping cough

Complications develop very often in infants, as well as in severe forms of the disease. They may be associated with the addition of secondary microflora (,) or caused by cough paroxysms (spontaneous pneumothorax). One of the most severe complications is (brain damage due to whooping cough due to impaired blood flow and insufficient oxygen supply due to repeated coughing attacks). With encephalopathy, confusion and loss of consciousness are noted.

If secondary microflora joins and pneumonia develops, the child’s temperature may rise sharply, and in addition to coughing, signs of general intoxication (lethargy, loss of appetite) and constant shortness of breath appear.

Diagnostics

Whooping cough can be suspected based on clinical manifestations.

The diagnosis of whooping cough is quite easy to establish only on the basis of the clinical picture: the presence of typical cough paroxysms. But for this, two conditions are necessary: the doctor must see this very paroxysm, which is very unlikely if the child is not treated in a hospital, because attacks can be rare and occur mainly in the evening and at night; The practical experience and alertness of the doctor regarding whooping cough will help here.

Therefore, do not hesitate to draw the pediatrician’s attention to the features of your child’s cough: how it begins, how it progresses, and what the child looks like when coughing. I’ll give my own example: when I started my practical work as a pediatrician, I never saw whooping cough “live”, and, in fact, I did not expect that it actually occurs at the present time (as it turned out, it even occurs quite often). And after 2 months of work - the first case: a six-month-old baby, whose attentive mother convinced me of the presence of whooping cough, who described in detail a typical whooping cough paroxysm, which I would not have seen for a long time, since the child coughed only at night.

To confirm the diagnosis of whooping cough based on symptoms, laboratory methods are additionally used:

General blood analysis– hyperleukocytosis is detected (the number of leukocytes increases 3-4 times compared to the age norm).

Bacteriological examination of mucus smear With back wall pharynx - more often gives a false negative result, since bacteria are easily detected in a smear only in the catarrhal period, when no one even thinks of examining a child for whooping cough.

Serological diagnosis– detection of specific antibodies to whooping cough in blood taken from a vein. The method is accurate, but expensive, so it is not used in clinics and hospitals.

Treatment

In mild and moderate cases, whooping cough can be successfully treated at home (under the supervision of a doctor, of course). Severe forms of the disease and whooping cough in children under one year of age require hospital treatment due to the high risk of complications.

Mode

To improve the child’s condition and replenish oxygen deficiency, it is necessary to ensure a constant flow of fresh air: regularly ventilate the room, open the window during sleep (if the outside air temperature allows), and take a daily walk (at an air temperature of -10 to +25°C). Coughing attacks are not a contraindication for walks in the fresh air, but to avoid infecting other children, take a walk with your child alone.

Active games should be avoided as they can provoke a cough paroxysm. Try to protect your sick baby from stress; you should not scold or punish children, so as not to cause crying, and with it a coughing attack.

Diet

Drug treatment

Antibiotics

Whooping cough is easy to destroy modern antibiotics– for example, macrolides (vilprafen, sumamed). But the insidiousness of whooping cough is that the pathogen can be affected by drugs only in the catarrhal period - and at this time it is very difficult to guess the presence of whooping cough, and antibiotics are not prescribed. Their subsequent use is not only pointless, but also dangerous, since antibacterial drugs can suppress one’s own immunity and facilitate the penetration of secondary microflora.

Antibacterial drugs are usually prescribed only in cases of pneumonia or purulent bronchitis. Broad-spectrum antibiotics are used: macrolides, cephalosporins (cephalexin, cefazolin, ceftriaxone, suprax), protected penicillins (amoxiclav).

Antitussives and expectorants

Centrally acting antitussive drugs that can suppress the cough reflex (sinecode, codeine, libexin, stoptussin) are used for dry coughs, but, as a rule, are ineffective in suppressing whooping cough paroxysms. More often, expectorants and mucolytics are prescribed (lazolvan, bromhexine, herbion primrose, gedelix, codelac broncho, etc.), which can facilitate the discharge of sputum and to some extent improve bronchial patency, preventing complications. Since the cough is long-lasting, usually one drug is replaced after 10-14 days with another, and, if necessary, with a third.

Drugs that relieve bronchospasm (aminofillin, berodual, etc.) do not give much results and are used according to indications.

Other drugs

Additionally, for whooping cough, antihistamines (Claritin, Zyrtec) and (valerian, motherwort) are used, in a hospital setting - sedatives and anticonvulsants, oxygen therapy.

Prevention

The main measure to prevent whooping cough is vaccination. No matter how many opponents speak out mandatory vaccination against whooping cough, the fact remains: if a child is not vaccinated, his risk of getting sick is quite high, especially if the baby is in active contact with other children. And this risk is steadily increasing along with the growth of refusals and unfounded medical exemptions from vaccinations.

It is no coincidence that whooping cough is included in the list of dangerous childhood diseases, because more than a million children still die from this insidious disease every year. The worst thing is that a disease that can be cured with a regular antibiotic turns out to be fatal for newborns and babies under one year of age. The sad statistics are due to the fact that the disease is difficult to detect early stage, that's why it's so important for parents full information about illness. How does the disease begin, what symptoms does it show, what helps to cure it, and what is prevention? dangerous illness – current topics our review.

Whooping cough can be a very dangerous disease for an infant

General information about whooping cough

The disease is caused by a bacterium with the Latin name Bordetella pertussis, which has a specific effect. Whooping cough is transmitted by airborne droplets through coughing in close contact with a sick person and is a childhood disease, but there have been cases of infection among the adult population - often it is an adult who becomes the culprit for infecting a child with whooping cough.

How long does it take for an infection to affect the body? The lifespan of whooping cough is short, and it can only pass to another person from a short distance. Close contact, unfortunately, guarantees 100% infection.

If the baby is contagious, but no one yet knows about it, and the child continues to attend kindergarten, then he can easily provoke whooping cough in children from his group. Unvaccinated children are especially at risk of getting sick.

Getting into the bronchi and trachea, Bordetella pertussis clings with its villi to the ciliated epithelium of these organs and begins its harmful effects. The cough center, located in the brain, is subject to constant irritation, and the amount of viscous mucus increases. In addition, the bacterium releases toxins that continue their irritating effect even after the rod itself is killed.

Doctors have found that the problem of long-term cure for the disease is not infection. respiratory organs, but in the irritating effect of the cough center. With such a clinical picture, treatment methods viral type cough and its pertussis counterpart are fundamentally different. The disease in its acute infectious form is severe and poses a particular danger to the health of newborns and babies up to one year old. A serious picture of the disease emerges in unvaccinated children. When the body is not ready or there is nothing to oppose it insidious infection, the disease can last up to 3 months.

Timely vaccination reduces a child's chances of getting whooping cough.

What symptoms are accompanied by whooping cough?

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The incubation period of the disease is 7-14 days - the period during which the whooping cough bacterium colonizes the mucous membrane of the respiratory organs, begins to multiply and provokes the sending of irritating signals to the brain. The cough center responds to irritation with severe coughing attacks that last about 3 months. Doctors call whooping cough the “hundred-day cough.”

Associated symptoms

Since the disease is infectious nature, it is not expressed by just coughing. The disease is accompanied by other symptoms:

temperature rise to 38 degrees;
mild pain in the throat;
runny nose;
dry cough.

The symptoms are very similar to a cold, so consultation with a pediatrician is necessary. Diagnosis is based on an examination of the child, tests, and the nature of the cough, which show the doctor a clear picture, as a result he will be able to accurately plan treatment. Speedy therapeutic effects are especially important for infants who find it very difficult to endure spasmodic attacks.

Whooping cough can easily be confused with a common cold, so the diagnosis should only be made by a specialist

Specific features of cough with whooping cough

Cough with whooping cough has specific manifestations. With each attack, you can see how the intensity of the cough increases, acquiring a spasmodic character. By the way, the process is easier for vaccinated children. The specific differences shown in the video help to recognize the cause of a cough. The unpleasant process looks like this:

Cough shock. It is formed during exhalation, causing the child to cough violently, preventing him from taking a breath.
Reprise is a deep breath accompanied by a whistle. A whistling sound is formed at the moment of spasm of the glottis. The narrow children's larynx contributes to the pronounced whistling sound.
Blue or red face. It occurs due to a lack of air, blocked by coughing attacks: the blood rushes in or, on the contrary, flows poorly to the skin, the body reacts by changing their color.
Mucus production or vomiting. A strong and prolonged coughing attack ends in vomiting, along with which viscous mucus may come out.
Acute phase. Occurs after a 10-day increase in cough attacks. For two weeks, the symptoms remain unchanged, manifesting themselves in constant coughing attacks and general malaise. Then a slow softening and reduction in the time of attacks begins.

The break between attacks gives the baby rest, and he behaves as usual: walks, plays, chats cheerfully. However, the number of attacks varies depending on the severity of the disease, as photographs of sick children clearly show. One child may cough 20 times a day, while another may have 40-50 coughs a day. With such intensity, the baby noticeably gets tired, his behavior changes, he becomes lethargic and irritable.

Cough during whooping cough literally exhausts the child, but the rest of the time he may feel quite normal

What stages does the disease go through?

After conducting classification studies, doctors identified and described three stages of whooping cough. We provide their detailed characteristics:

Catarrhal. The stage is accompanied by a cough, runny nose and a rise in temperature to 37.5-37.7 degrees (rare). The nature of the cough is unproductive, dry, with frequent attacks. The catarrhal phase lasts up to 2-3 weeks. The symptoms are unclear, so the doctor may determine it as bronchitis or acute respiratory infections. Most cases of infection occur in the catarrhal stage due to its mild course. The probability of becoming infected through close contact with a sick person is 100%.
A paroxysmal cough occurs after the symptoms of a common acute respiratory infection disappear. The cough takes on an obsessive form and causes a spasmodic reaction. Experienced pediatrician additional research accurately diagnoses whooping cough at this stage, but a blood test must be taken. It should be noted that at this stage, whooping cough in a vaccinated child is milder or takes a short time, during which the doctor does not have time to make a diagnosis.
Recovery. The period when the intensity of attacks noticeably decreases, they pass more easily, and the child’s general condition improves. The treatment does not stop, but the danger of complications recedes.

What are the complications of whooping cough?

Even an experienced doctor cannot speed up the recovery process for whooping cough, but proper treatment can significantly alleviate the course of the disease and eliminate unwanted complications. The greatest danger from whooping cough is faced by the smallest patients - newborns and children up to 6 months. Whooping cough can lead to respiratory arrest in infants. A common consequence of whooping cough is pneumonia.

Temperature rise by certain period illness may indicate a deterioration in the child’s condition

Parents of a baby with whooping cough should closely monitor his health and pay attention to the following signs:

unexpected deterioration in the child’s condition;
rise in temperature in the 2nd week of illness;
rapid breathing, coughing attacks last longer and become more intense.

With such obvious changes in the condition of a child, especially an infant, it is necessary to immediately hospitalize him and get tested. The baby will spend a little time in the hospital, but this will be enough for the doctor to observe the acute period and, based on the blood and sputum tests obtained, stabilize the child’s condition with medication.

It is important for parents not to miss alarming moments and ensure timely professional help to your treasure.

How to treat whooping cough?

Most young patients with whooping cough are treated at home. The hospital is indicated for severe cases of the disease. Therapeutic measures consist of taking medications, but the first place in the fight against the disease is to provide the child with conditions that help relieve coughing attacks. Parents should:

ventilate the room more often and walk outside with the child;
maintain air humidity levels;
feed the baby in fractional portions, ensuring that the diet is balanced with vitamins and other useful elements;
protect the baby from stressful situations;
muffle the sound, dim the lights so as not to irritate the little patient;
distract from coughing attacks with a new cartoon or toy.

As you can see, these actions will not require incredible efforts from parents, but will greatly ease the child’s suffering from an obsessive illness. Peace, affection, and the interest of mom and dad in a speedy recovery will help your little treasure to endure coughing attacks with mental peace. The affectionate whooping cough does not give up its position for a long time, so it is doubly important to be attentive to the child’s physical discomfort.

The use of folk remedies

Whooping cough has been known for a long time; it has sad statistics, especially in past centuries, when many babies died from the disease. Naturally, healers of the past looked for ways to combat it, tried to treat young patients with various herbal tinctures, decoctions, and juices. We will tell you about folk remedies that have long been used to treat whooping cough. Parents can use them to alleviate attacks:

calamus and honey;
nettle or radish juice;
clover infusion;
a mixture of ginger juice, almond oil and onion juice.

When choosing a folk remedy, make sure that your child is not allergic to it. When using inhalations with herbal components, you can reduce irritation from a dry cough - the main thing is that the medicines are sprayed in high humidity (in the bathroom or using a humidifier). Nebulizer inhalations with mineral water are good for cough relief.

Treatment with antibiotics

The bacterial nature of whooping cough requires the mandatory use of antibiotics. Note that with the help of antibiotics, coughing attacks at the catarrhal stage of the disease are significantly reduced. Medicines help prevent the onset of a sharp exacerbation of the disease in the form of paroxysmal cough.

Doctors note the resistance of the bacterium Bordetella pertussis to penicillin series antibiotics. “Augmentin”, “Amoxiclav”, “Flemoclav Solutab” are useless in the fight against whooping cough; it is recommended to use Erythromycin (we recommend reading:). The drug gives quick effect improvements.

You need to keep in mind that not every antibiotic is suitable for treating whooping cough.

Antibiotic treatment started in acute period when the cough enters the spasmodic phase, it continues. The therapy is aimed at making the child non-infectious to other children, since antibiotics can no longer affect the cough center of the brain. The medications are taken strictly according to the plan prescribed by the doctor: at the exact time, duration and doses. Parents should control this process, avoiding serious deviations from the intake schedule.

Anti-cough medications

An obsessive cough causes physical and psychological discomfort to the child. The baby begins to be capricious, refuses to eat, and is afraid of coughing attacks.

Antitussive medications that suppress the cough reflex help reduce annoying symptoms. Pharmacies offer them in a wide range. If you consider it necessary, use drugs such as Glycodin, Sinekod, Codelac Neo, Codeine, Panatus (we recommend reading:).

We draw the attention of parents that cough suppressants may contain narcotic components that are addictive. They are potentially harmful to a small organism and can cause undesirable consequences. For infants, cough medications are used with the permission and under the constant supervision of the local pediatrician, in limited or strictly calculated doses.

Taking medications must be carried out under the supervision of a doctor

Mucolytic and expectorant agents

Indicated in the treatment of cough during viral infections, bronchitis, pneumonia, tracheitis. For whooping cough, they are prescribed to reduce complications in order to prevent the occurrence of pneumonia or chronic bronchitis in children and adults. They work to liquefy mucus and remove it from the respiratory system. Although they do not relieve coughing attacks, they are useful in controlling whooping cough.

Homeopathic therapy

Homeopathy offers its own methods of combating disease based on the use of natural ingredients. Helps vaccinated children well. In the catarrhal stage of whooping cough, the child is given Nux vomica 3 or Pulsatilla 3. The first remedy helps with dry cough, the second is indicated for sputum production. If fever appears during the catarrhal period of the disease, the child can drink Aconite 3, which helps lower the temperature, relieve headaches, remove symptoms of irritability and a feeling of general malaise. Take 2-3 drops every 2 hours.

Signs of whooping cough in a child can be very different. In some cases, children suffer from the disease as if playfully and complain only of a slight cough. They rarely need specific treatment, because all necessary help they receive at home. But much more often it is impossible to get rid of whooping cough using these methods, since the disease is quite severe. Treatment with folk remedies does not have a noticeable therapeutic effect, so it is necessary to use medications combined with a strict quarantine regime. If whooping cough develops extremely rapidly in a child and there is a real threat to life, powerful antibiotics are used. Such drugs cannot be called harmless, so treatment takes place in a hospital setting.

How to treat whooping cough in children? The answer to this question depends entirely on the stage of the disease and the severity of clinical manifestations. Therefore, if the diagnosis is finally confirmed by data laboratory research, one of the most important factors determining the treatment regimen is the symptoms of whooping cough present in a young patient. This is what we will talk about today.

Pediatricians identify three main stages in the development of the disease, each of which requires its own approach to therapy. Therefore, the approach common in domestic clinics, according to which any infectious disease or even a mild rash of unknown nature must be treated with powerful antibiotics, is fundamentally wrong.

Stages of whooping cough:

Incubation. It is almost impossible to notice the first signs of whooping cough without an in-depth examination. Children do not show any special complaints, and mild malaise is most often attributed to banal overwork.
Catarrhal. It is characterized by symptoms characteristic of many colds. Such patients are most often diagnosed with ARVI and recommended bed rest, warm drinks and paracetamol. This treatment does not bring any visible effect, so after 10-14 days, whooping cough in children smoothly passes into the second stage.
Paroxysmal. Symptoms at this stage are most pronounced, but conventional antibiotics, even latest generation, have practically no effect on the whooping cough bacillus. Most of all, patients suffer from repeated coughing attacks, which often repeat every 30-40 minutes. Noticeable relief occurs after a few weeks.
Stage of reverse development of symptoms. If treatment for whooping cough is chosen correctly, the body begins to gradually recover. Patients are bothered by a chest cough, but attacks are repeated less and less every day. The rash on the face and neck gradually disappears, and therapeutic measures most often take place in familiar home conditions. Depending on the severity of the disease and the state of immunity, this period can last from 2 to 6 weeks.
Recovery phase. In some cases, this period can last up to six months. The child feels healthy, but his immunity has not yet recovered from the illness. Any specific means against whooping cough are used extremely rarely, and all efforts of doctors and parents are aimed at maintaining immunity and protecting the fragile body from negative environmental factors.

Symptoms of whooping cough in children

As we have already found out, they depend on the stage of the disease. Their interpretation must be taken as responsibly as possible. The mass approach to this issue, which is often practiced in our district clinics, is far from the most correct solution. And that's why:

A medicinal method of therapy, especially if the use of potent antibiotics is expected.
Whooping cough in vaccinated children can sometimes produce a similar clinical picture, but within a few days the severity of the symptoms quickly subsides. Therefore, the use of standard treatment methods in this case does not make any sense.
Prescribing any medications without analyzing the child’s medical record can lead to the most dire consequences.
Whooping cough in newborns requires a completely different approach, since the baby’s body is still completely fragile.

Attention! If for one reason or another you doubt the prescribed treatment regimen, ask for another doctor. By law, you have every right to do this.

Incubation period

There are no specific symptoms of whooping cough at this stage. Consequently, any clinical manifestations are most often absent, and a correct diagnosis can only be made after sensitive laboratory tests. If the doctor you contacted still insists on inpatient treatment, ask him to restate the existing arguments. Remember that a slight malaise is most likely due to overwork or a cold, and a rare cough is most likely due to a draft in the classroom ( kindergarten, manger) or a glass of cold juice drunk the day before.

Catarrhal period

Bordetella pertussis is already present in the body, but its activity is relatively small. Spicy, severe symptoms can cause whooping cough in children under one year of age, but in most cases they are erased and poorly expressed. The typical duration of the catarrhal stage is 1-2 weeks, although in rare cases it can last longer (especially if the child has already been vaccinated).

General condition is satisfactory.
The temperature is most often normal or low-grade (maximum 37.1-37.5 degrees).
The cough is unproductive, sometimes obsessive. As a rule, it bothers the child in the evening and at night, but no sputum discharge is observed.

Paroxysmal period

The most difficult stage for the patient and his parents. At this stage, the child requires qualified medical care, which is not always possible to receive at home. The risk of complications is extremely high, and neglect of medical recommendations can lead to the most severe consequences. Whooping cough in an infant at the paroxysmal stage is most dangerous, so it requires round-the-clock monitoring.

The cough becomes paroxysmal, and a series of painful shocks can last several minutes.
Viscous whitish sputum begins to come out.
A special, whistling breath appears (reprise).
In rare cases, a cough may be caused by involuntary urination or defecation.

Characteristic external signs acute attack:

protruding tongue;
a puffy, reddened face, which after an attack becomes bluish-burgundy;
blue lips;
swelling of the neck veins;
severe lacrimation;
hemorrhage in the sclera;
the appearance of small red dots all over the surface of the skin.

The general condition of the child outside (!) of an attack is usually satisfactory. If complications are absent or not very pronounced, they play with interest with their peers and do not refuse food.

Attention! During this period, with severe forms of whooping cough, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, rapid development of swelling and hemorrhage into the skin may occur.

Period of reversal of symptoms

Coughing attacks become less cyclical: now they are more likely to depend on excessive emotional or physical activity. But the emerging recovery process is extremely unstable: certain complications can arise at any time.

Normalization of body temperature.
Gradual extinction of catarrhal phenomena.
Sputum production is possible only after the attack has ended.
Dysrhythmia of breathing and rare attacks of apnea.

Laboratory test data:

lymphocytosis;
leukocytosis;
decrease in ESR indicators;
the ability to isolate the pertussis bacillus using the cough plate method;
a fourfold increase in the titer of specific antibodies during serological testing.

Recovery period

There are usually no special manifestations of whooping cough during this period. But parents must remember that even cured whooping cough in children (there are no symptoms, the state of health is satisfactory, lab tests normally) leads to decreased immunity. Therefore, the body needs some time to fully recover. During the recovery period, the child should be protected from excessive stress, although the need to comply bed rest occurs extremely rarely.

Classification depending on the severity of the disease

As we have already found out, the symptoms of whooping cough depend on the stage of the disease, as well as on the general condition of the child at the time of infection. But for the purpose of adequate and effective therapy The doctor must determine the severity of a particular case. To do this, you need to consider the following parameters:

intensity of coughing attacks;
duration and frequency of apnea attacks;
severity of hypoxia (cyanosis can be of 3 types: perioral, total or acro);
existing disruptions in work of cardio-vascular system;
cases of vomiting during coughing;
any manifestations of encephalitis;
possible complications.

Distinctive Features: lightweight forms of whooping cough:

satisfactory general condition;
no more than 15 coughing attacks per day;
slight swelling of the eyelids and face;
signs of pulmonary emphysema, which can only be identified with an in-depth examination;
conditions, the likelihood of manifestation of which is extremely low (isolated cases are possible): vomiting after an attack, mild cyanosis, hemorrhagic syndrome.

Distinctive features of the average form of whooping cough:

noticeable deterioration in the general condition of the small patient;
children become irritable and capricious;
from 15 to 30 attacks per day;
prolonged paroxysms;
high probability of vomiting and various hemorrhagic elements;
pale skin;
pronounced perioral cyanosis;
instrumental examination can reveal a specific shade of percussion sound, as well as wet or dry rales.

Distinctive features of severe whooping cough:

the child’s condition is extremely serious;
problems with sleep and appetite;
possible sudden weight loss;
more than 30 coughing attacks per day, accompanied by vomiting and breathing problems;
perioral or acrocyanosis;
obvious signs of damage to the cardiovascular system (dull heart sounds, enlargement of its boundaries, increased blood pressure);
the risk of developing encephalopathy, which can cause seizures, impaired consciousness and paresis.

Whooping cough in young children under one year of age

The course of their illness may differ significantly, so we considered it necessary to separate this information into a separate block. And although only a doctor should treat children, it will be useful for parents to find out what the characteristics of whooping cough are in very young patients (they are most often diagnosed with a moderate or severe form).

Periods of the disease:

incubation: short, no more than a week;
prodromal: from 4 to 7 days;
spasmodic cough: up to 2 months.

Whooping cough in children under one year of age: features and symptoms

reprises are less pronounced and occur relatively rarely;
slight secretion of sputum (babies simply swallow some of it);
unsatisfactory general condition even between attacks;
significant decrease in appetite;
development slowdown;
temporary loss of speech and motor skills;
high risk of damage to the nervous system;
slight likelihood of subconjunctival bleeding;
quiet and mild cough (most often in newborns and premature babies);
cerebrovascular accident;
apnea (up to SIDS - sudden infant death syndrome);
early nonspecific complications.

We especially note that specific antibodies to whooping cough are detected quite late: at 4-6 weeks of convulsive cough.

Whooping cough in vaccinated children

If the child has managed to receive the DTP vaccine, the symptoms in most cases will be blurred, and the risk of any complications is significantly reduced. Pediatricians also note...:

...significant reduction in the likelihood of getting sick: 4-6 times;
...decrease in incubation period: from 7 to 15 days;
...development in 86% of cases of a mild form of whooping cough;
...rare vomits and reprises;
...an extremely low probability of any hemorrhagic manifestations and swelling;
...mild course and quick recovery.

Differential diagnosis

What symptoms distinguish whooping cough from the same cold or acute respiratory viral infection? What to do if a child begins to rash and the temperature rises: give him antipyretics or go to an infectious diseases hospital? Only a doctor can accurately determine this, since some clinical manifestations can only be identified after an exhaustive examination.

Differences from colds (catarrhal period):

the cough gets worse every day and is practically untreatable with standard means;
there are no visible changes in the lungs;
other catarrhal symptoms are mild (slight runny nose, mild hyperemia mucous);
the infectious syndrome is expressed very little or completely absent;
there are no signs of damage to other organs and systems;
characteristic changes in blood composition: lympho- and leukocytosis, decreased ESR;
laboratory tests confirm the presence of pertussis bacillus.

Differential diagnosis during the spasmodic period (possible options):

tuberculous bronchoadenitis;
mediastinal tumors;
acute tracheobronchitis;
cystic fibrosis (bronchopulmonary form);
foreign body in any part of the respiratory tract;
pneumonia.

conclusions

Whooping cough is a very dangerous and poorly predictable infectious disease, but if you follow the schedule of preventive vaccinations and promptly consult a doctor, in most cases it ends in complete recovery. However, parents should clearly understand that only a doctor should treat him.

Can whooping cough prevention prevent infection? If a child is vaccinated on time, the chance of getting sick is extremely small, so we do not recommend refusing DTP. If there are cases of illness in a school or kindergarten, it is better to refrain from visiting these institutions for a while.