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Whooping Cough (Pertussis)
By John Nichols, M.D.
Whooping cough has been making a comeback over the last few years. It is a serious, contagious infection of the nose, throat and lungs. Pertussis can affect all ages, but usually affects children. Vaccination has greatly reduced the occurrence, and now when you get your tetanus booster, you will also get additional protection against pertussis. Pertussis causes runny nose, cough and fever. Bouts of coughing can last up to 1 minute and at the end of each coughing episode, the person gasps for air with a whooping sound. The cough usually lasts up to 6 weeks.
The best treatment is prevention, but it can be treatable with antibiotics. Even with treatment the illness usually causes a cough for 2 weeks of a standard cough, 2 weeks with the "whooping" cough, and 2 weeks recovery. Some may have coughs that last for months. Complications are most common in young children and may include dehydration, pneumonia, and in rare cases, brain damage and death.
Treatment depends on the severity of the symptoms. Severely ill infants may require hospital care. Most children can usually be treated at home. They should get extra rest, drink plenty of fluids and be monitored for any complications. Erythromycin antibiotic is often prescribed. Return to day care, school or work is often permitted after taking antibiotics for 5 days. Often close contacts of infected persons are treated prophylactically with antibiotics.
As discussed above, the best treatment is prevention. So, if you are due for a tetanus booster, make sure you ask for one that has the "whooping cough" vaccine in it.
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