Whooping Cough

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It is a highly infectious childhood disease caused by Bordetella pertussis. It is most severe in young  infants who have not yet been immunized

Clinical presentation

  • Paroxysmal cough associated with a whoop
  • Fever
  • Nasal discharge

Non-pharmacological Treatment

  • Place the child head down and prone, or on the side, to prevent any inhaling of vomitus and to aid expectoration of secretions.
  • Care for the airway but avoid, as far as possible, any procedure that could trigger coughing, such as application of suction, throat examination
  • Do not give cough suppressants, sedatives, mucolytic agents or anti-histamines
  • If the child has fever (>38.5°C) give paracetamol
  • Encourage breastfeeding or oral fluids
  • Whooping cough is preventable by immunization with pertussis vaccine contained in DPT-HepB-Hib vaccine at week 6, 10 and 14.

Oxygen

  • Give oxygen to children who have spells of apnoea or cyanosis, or severe paroxysms of coughing.
  • Use nasal prongs, not a nasopharyngeal catheter or nasal catheter which can provoke coughing.

Pharmacological Treatment

A: erythromycin (PO) 12.5 mg/kg 6hourly for 10days.

This does not shorten the illness but reduces the period of infectiousness.

If there is fever: 

In children older than age 2 months:

A: trimethoprim + sulfamethoxazole (FDC) (PO) 8mg+40mg/kg 12hourly