Symptoms of whooping cough in children and treatment

Posted on by admin

Whooping cough in children - symptoms and treatment. How to treat childhood whooping cough with folk remedies and antibiotics

Whooping cough is a dangerous disease that most often occurs in childhood. To avoid a threat to the health and life of the child, parents must be able to identify early symptoms and signs of the disease and consult a doctor in a timely manner.

Table of contents:

Preventive measures to prevent the child from becoming infected are important.

What is whooping cough

Whooping cough is an infectious disease that affects the upper respiratory tract. The severe course of the disease in children under six months of age can lead to severe complications. Whooping cough can be transmitted by sneezing, coughing, or talking; the causative agent is the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. A special analysis will help identify it. During its life cycle, it releases a special toxin into the blood. It irritates the mucous membranes of the bronchi and larynx, causing a barking, dry, catarrhal cough. Outside the body, the bacterium quickly dies.

Outbreaks of the disease are observed in autumn and winter. The disease is transmitted only through direct contact; you can become infected through coughing. Once in the respiratory tract, lined with ciliated epithelium, the bacterium begins to rapidly multiply on the mucous membranes of the bronchi, lungs and larynx. It is very important to diagnose whooping cough in children in a timely manner - symptoms and treatment may vary from person to person.

People have no immunity to this disease. Even after a person has had whooping cough, the antibodies remain in the body for only 5 years. Immunity is not lifelong and there is a risk of re-infection. Vaccination is a good protective measure to control the spread of whooping cough. When a vaccinated person becomes infected, the disease occurs in an erased form and the risk of death is significantly reduced. On average, the resolution period is 95–120 days; for this reason, the disease is sometimes also called the “hundred-day cough.”

Note!

- The fungus won't bother you anymore! Elena Malysheva tells in detail.

- Elena Malysheva - How to lose weight without doing anything!

Whooping cough - symptoms in children

The most characteristic symptom is the appearance of a non-productive, spasmodic cough, which has the character of an attack. The incubation period of the disease is from 7 to 30 days. The symptoms of whooping cough in a child develop gradually and at the initial stage are very similar to the manifestations of acute respiratory infections. Parents, unaware of the diagnosis, continue to take the child to kindergarten, but for the first 5-12 days the child’s cough is contagious, and the virus is quickly transmitted to others.

The disease is especially dangerous in children under one year of age. If a baby under six months old falls ill, he is subject to immediate hospitalization. Adults rarely get the “hundred-day cough.” At risk are infants, children from one to five years of age, and adolescents. In order to recognize the disease in time, you need to know how whooping cough manifests itself in children. When whooping cough begins, the symptoms are the same as for a cold:

  • The patient complains of chills, muscle and headache, and general weakness.
  • There is swelling of the mucous membrane and the appearance of a slight runny nose.
  • The pharynx is red, the skin is pale.
  • The temperature rises, tachycardia appears - rapid heartbeat.
  • The person becomes lethargic and loses appetite.

As the disease progresses, the paroxysmal stage begins. A dry, spasmodic cough develops. It is not treatable with antitussives. You need to know how to distinguish the signs of whooping cough in a child from a common cold in order to begin targeted treatment in time.

Temperature with whooping cough

A characteristic feature of this insidious disease is the presence of low temperature. This is the first sure sign of a dangerous disease. The temperature during whooping cough rarely reaches 38 °C and never rises higher. If you see a number greater than 38 on the thermometer, this is not contagious whooping cough, but a common acute respiratory infection, bronchitis or pneumonia. But only a doctor can make an accurate diagnosis.

Whooping cough cough

How to identify whooping cough in a child - by the presence of a characteristic cough. It begins to appear only two weeks after the onset of the first symptoms. The cough gradually increases, becomes more intense and frequent. Attacks become especially frequent at night; they interfere with the child’s sleep and cause hypoxia. The attack consists of several coughing shocks and a long wheezing breath. There can be from 3 to 45 such cases per day, they end with the release of a small amount of glass-like sputum or vomiting.

Cough is dangerous for infants. In children 6 months of age, breathing may stop during an attack, which can even lead to death. It is very important that during an illness the baby is in a medical facility where he can receive immediate help. Such severe coughing attacks cause hemorrhages on the mucous membranes. Capillaries burst in the eyes, on the baby’s neck, and hematomas occur.

Treatment of whooping cough in children

Parapertussis does not cause a large percentage of mortality and severe consequences in children, only due to mandatory vaccinations and the introduction of quarantine in children's institutions. After diagnosing the disease, the doctor prescribes therapy. The following medications are used for treatment:

  • centrally acting antitussives based on codeine;
  • antibiotics;
  • prebiotics and probiotics;
  • vitamins;
  • expectorants and mucolytics;
  • antihistamines.

How to treat whooping cough and what medications to take is decided only by the attending physician. The parents’ task is to ensure proper care for the baby and timely administration of medications in the required dosage. It is very important! But parents can also contribute to a speedy recovery. In the fight against infection, walks, bright books with pictures, toys, fun - everything that can distract the baby are very effective.

Antibiotics for whooping cough

Antibiotics are widely used to treat whooping cough in children. The earlier the disease is diagnosed, the more effective antibacterial therapy will be. When the child is in the hospital, intramuscular administration of ceftriaxone is effective. During home quarantine, antibiotics are prescribed in the form of syrups. The most effective of them are based on amoxicillin, azithromycin or 2-3 generation cephalosporins. The course can last 5-10 days.

Treatment of whooping cough in children at home

If the child is over a year old or the disease is not severe, you can treat whooping cough in children at home. Babies or children with a severe course of the disease are admitted to the hospital. First of all, you need to provide the patient with fresh air and optimal humidity (40-60%) in the room. If the weather is good outside and the baby is no longer contagious, walk a lot. Stick to your doctor's orders - this is very important. In this state, any nervous shock is contraindicated. React to your cough calmly. Increase the flow of positive emotions - offer a game, entertain the baby.

Treatment of whooping cough in children with folk remedies

Folk remedies for whooping cough in children can effectively combat symptoms, shorten the duration and cure the disease:

  • Variations of warm milk with cocoa butter, butter, and honey can help relieve a cough.
  • Rub your chest with badger or goat fat - this will restore microcirculation in the bronchi area.
  • Give the patient a back massage, this promotes effective mucus removal.
  • It is useful to carry out inhalations using a nebulizer or a warm-moist method.
  • Let your baby breathe over potatoes, a decoction of eucalyptus, and calendula.
  • For internal use, you can brew linden, chamomile, plantain - these herbs help quickly remove toxins from the body.

Video: how to treat whooping cough in children

The information presented in the article is for informational purposes only. The materials in the article do not encourage self-treatment. Only a qualified doctor can make a diagnosis and make recommendations for treatment based on the individual characteristics of a particular patient.

Source: http://sovets.net/8737-koklyush-u-detej-simptomy-i-lechenie.html

Whooping cough in children: symptoms and treatment, Komarovsky’s advice

Whooping cough is a bacterial disease transmitted by airborne droplets from a sick person to a healthy person. During a cough, bacteria fly out of the respiratory tract of an infected person and penetrate through the nasal cavity onto the bronchial mucosa of a person nearby. There they irritate the receptors and cause uncontrollable coughing, which literally turns into vomiting.

Vaccinations against whooping cough begin at 3 months of age along with vaccinations against diphtheria and tetanus - usually the DTP vaccine is used. Of the three components of the vaccine, pertussis is the most difficult to tolerate. And it often happens that weakened children or children who have previously had severe reactions to vaccination are vaccinated with an ADS drug that does not contain a pertussis component.

Timely vaccination can reduce the risk of disease by 80 percent, and if infection does occur, the disease progresses more easily.

Causative agent of whooping cough

Why does whooping cough occur and what is it? This is the name of an infectious, highly contagious disease that affects the respiratory system and nervous system, and is accompanied by characteristic attacks of convulsive cough. The causative agent of whooping cough is Bordet-Gengou (whooping cough bacillus), which is transmitted from sick to healthy people through airborne droplets when coughing.

Pertussis sticks can be of three main subtypes - the aggressive and severe first type of infection, and the more favorable and moderately severe ones - the second and third types of sticks. However, the age and previous state of health of the child also play an important role in the development of whooping cough.

  • incubation period – 2-14 days,
  • initial or catarrhal period – 2-14 days,
  • period of convulsive cough – from 1 month or more,
  • recovery – 1-2 months.

Whooping cough is transmitted by airborne droplets, spreading from its owner 2.5 meters to the sides. The bacillus is not transmitted through care items, and susceptibility to whooping cough ranges from 70 to 100%, depending on the degree of group density and the length of stay in the group. You can get whooping cough at any age from the neonatal period, children are especially often sick during the cold season - from November to March, when they practically do not go for walks and sit at home or in kindergarten. Increases in incidence occur approximately once every three to five years; surviving whooping cough provides lifelong lasting immunity.

Before the age of one year, whooping cough is very severe, with a high mortality rate (death) - 50-60% of cases among unvaccinated children. After vaccination against whooping cough, if the disease develops, it is not as pronounced, without characteristic attacks.

Whooping cough symptoms

The incubation period for whooping cough is 6-20 days (usually 7 days). If whooping cough occurs in a child, the main symptom is attacks of severe spasmodic coughing, repeated over a long period of time (see photo).

However, the first signs of whooping cough in children resemble a common acute respiratory infection: malaise, loss of appetite, slight runny nose, rare dry cough, fever (most often up to 37-37.5 degrees, in some cases up to 39 degrees).

Day after day, the cough intensifies, and as the disease progresses, it becomes spasmodic and paroxysmal in nature. At night, coughing attacks tend to become more frequent, preventing the baby from sleeping peacefully. Depending on the course of the disease, attacks can last 4-5 minutes and repeat up to 20 times a day. After the coughing attack ends, the child may complain of pain in the chest and abdomen. In some cases, the disease is accompanied by vomiting.

The disease occurs in three stages (catarrhal, paroxysmal and convalescent stage). In general, the illness lasts 6-8 weeks.

  1. Catarrhal. The general condition of the child remains without significant changes. Body temperature may rise to subfebrile levels (37.5°C). A dry cough appears, worsening in the evening and at night. The cough gradually becomes obsessive and gradually becomes paroxysmal. There may be a runny nose, decreased appetite, restlessness and irritability. The symptoms resemble those of pharyngitis, laryngitis, and tracheitis. The more severe the disease, the shorter the catarrhal stage. Thus, in children in the first year of life, the duration of the catarrhal period is 3-5 days, in older children – up to 14 days.
  2. Paroxysmal. There are no signs of acute respiratory infections at all, and the cough becomes obsessive and spasmodic. This occurs in the second or third week of illness. It is at this stage that it is possible to recognize whooping cough in a child by its characteristic cough. An experienced pediatrician will immediately determine by the type of cough whether it is whooping cough or not. And this does not require any diagnostics or laboratory tests. The signs of whooping cough in a vaccinated child at this stage appear much milder. It often happens that whooping cough is tolerated without a diagnosis: you cough and it goes away without any treatment.
  3. Resolution period (2 to 4 weeks). During this period, the body’s immunity mobilizes its strength and, with the help of antibiotics, defeats the aggressor. The cough subsides, attacks become less frequent. The “rooster” character of the cough disappears. The composition of sputum changes - it becomes mucopurulent and gradually stops being released. Over time, all the symptoms of the disease gradually disappear and the baby recovers.

Severe whooping cough in children can lead to serious consequences and complications, in particular, hypoxia develops, as a result of which the blood supply to the brain and heart muscle is disrupted. If the treatment method for whooping cough is incorrect, children may have complications in the functioning of the respiratory system, developing pleurisy, emphysema, and pneumonia. Other bacteria can also develop in stagnant lung tissue.

Course of the disease in young children

Whooping cough in young children is very severe and the incubation period is shorter. The short catarrhal stage turns into a long paroxysmal period.

There may not be a classic coughing attack; it is replaced by sneezing, restlessness, screaming, and the child assumes the fetal position. Reprises, if any, are not clearly defined. There may be apnea (stopping breathing) during an attack or between attacks; sleep apnea is especially dangerous. Younger children have a very high risk of developing complications.

What does whooping cough look like - photo

Blood test for whooping cough

At an early stage, when the symptoms of whooping cough in children are not yet expressed, a whooping cough test helps diagnose the disease. It is carried out using the bacteriological method, when a colony of bacteria is grown from mucus taken from the nasopharynx of a patient and their species is determined, or, if it is necessary to obtain a result in a short time, using the PCR method, which makes it possible to detect the presence of pertussis bacillus directly in the smear.

In addition, serological tests are used to show the presence of antibodies to whooping cough in the blood or mucus of the throat.

Treatment of whooping cough in children

A larger number of sick children are treated at home, but under the supervision of a doctor. However, there are cases when hospitalization in a hospital is a vital necessity. This:

  • infants up to six months of age;
  • complicated course of whooping cough;
  • whooping cough in combination with other diseases;
  • whooping cough in weakened children;
  • all severe forms of whooping cough.

First of all, with whooping cough, quarantine is necessary (25 days from the first day of illness). This is necessary so that the disease does not spread further; in addition, the patient should not be exposed to other infections so as not to develop complications. In this regard, protect other children from the sick person and take all measures to prevent the spread of the disease.

Food and drink should be given to the child often, in small portions, and if vomiting occurs, re-feed. Fresh air helps relieve attacks, so the baby needs to organize walks. Treatment should take place in a calm environment, since coughing attacks are provoked by nervous tension and emotional breakdowns.

Treatment of whooping cough in children necessarily includes antibacterial therapy. The duration of the disease and the severity of the baby’s condition depend on the correct choice of drug. Also, to treat the disease, doctors prescribe anticonvulsants, antitussives and expectorants, sedatives, and homeopathic medicines.

If whooping cough is left untreated, it can develop into pneumonia within 2-3 weeks. In addition, if a child has suffered a severe form of whooping cough, then delays in the development of the nervous system may appear (speech delay, absent-minded attention).

How to treat whooping cough in children - says Komarovsky

Whooping cough in children and its symptoms, Komarovsky emphasizes, are difficult to diagnose when the disease is mild.

Attention and observation help the pediatrician in making a timely and correct diagnosis. To make everything completely clear, watch the video “Whooping cough: symptoms in children.” Don't panic if you notice signs of whooping cough, but stay vigilant.

Prevention of whooping cough - only vaccination

The main measure to prevent whooping cough is vaccination. No matter how much opponents of compulsory vaccination against whooping cough speak out, the fact remains: if a child is not vaccinated, the 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.

Today, whooping cough is often diagnosed in late stages, which makes treatment difficult and leads to complications. There is one more administrative factor. If whooping cough is discovered at a pediatrician’s office, this is an emergency that requires filling out a lot of paperwork, “sorting things out” with the sanitary and epidemiological station, etc. Therefore, they try not to advertise the diagnosis of “whooping cough.”

Vaccination performed on a healthy (or almost healthy, without contraindications) child is practically safe. The most common unpleasant effect from it is fever and pain at the injection site, but these effects can also be avoided by using modern purified vaccines (such as Infanrix or Pentaxim).

Good to know:

Add a comment Cancel reply

Transcription of analyzes online

Doctors consultation

Fields of Medicine

Popular

This is interesting

Only a qualified doctor can treat diseases.

Symptoms of whooping cough in children under one year of age and older: first signs and methods of treatment at home

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 at its early stage, which is why complete information about the disease is so important for parents. How the disease begins, what symptoms it makes itself known, what helps to cure it, and what the prevention of a dangerous disease consists of are the current topics of our review.

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.

Once in 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 a long cure for the disease is not an infection of the respiratory organs, but the irritating effect of the cough center. With such a clinical picture, the treatment methods for the viral type of 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 has nothing to resist the 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?

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 in 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. Prompt therapeutic action is 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 coughing attacks once 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:

  1. 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 at the catarrhal stage due to its mild course. The probability of becoming infected through close contact with a sick person is 100%.
  2. 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. An experienced pediatrician, without additional research, will accurately diagnose 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.
  3. 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.

A rise in temperature at a certain stage of the disease 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.

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.

Treatment with antibiotics, started in the acute period, when the cough enters the spasmodic phase, 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.

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 for 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.

How to carry out prevention?

The main preventive weapon against whooping cough is timely vaccination of the child. Dr. Komarovsky explains that vaccination does not provide a 100% guarantee against the disease, but it reduces the risks that may arise if the disease is advanced or the baby’s body was weakened before the onset of the disease. The history of the disease shows that until the invention of the vaccine, it ranked first among childhood ailments leading to death.

Today, whooping cough vaccination is prescribed at 3 months of age. Vaccination helps strengthen the child’s immunity for up to 5 years. Children tolerate the vaccine well, in some cases there is a deterioration in appetite, a rise in temperature and a runny nose. Whooping cough is most dangerous for infants who find it physically difficult to cope with paroxysmal coughing.

The fashion trend that has developed today is increasing the ranks of opponents of any vaccinations. A dangerous game with the health of a little man can lead to a sad result. The whooping cough vaccine is the only effective weapon against this insidious disease, so medical advances should not be neglected. Thanks to them, today we do not get smallpox, we are protected from cholera and plague, and even in childhood we can easily endure other serious diseases.

Whooping cough is dangerous for infants, so I am definitely in favor of vaccination. If there is a risk of death from a seemingly banal cough, how can you doubt and protect your baby. And the statistics are relentless, because children still die from it, so get vaccinated, the sooner the better.

Attention! All information on the site is provided for informational purposes only and is for informational purposes only. For all questions regarding the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, you must consult a doctor for an in-person consultation.

Source: http://vseprorebenka.ru/zdorove/zabolevaniya/koklyush-simptomy-u-detej.html

Whooping cough in children

Whooping cough is an acute infectious disease with airborne transmission, accompanied by spasmodic paroxysmal cough.

In adults, it can occur without characteristic attacks, accompanied only by a prolonged cough.

Whooping cough is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. Among the toxins this bacillus contains is pertussigen, which causes the main symptoms of whooping cough. The pertussis bacillus is very sensitive to environmental influences: after 2 hours it dies in direct sunlight, after 15 minutes - when the temperature rises above 50 o C.

The source of whooping cough infection is a sick person or a bacteria carrier. Infection occurs by airborne droplets through close contact within a radius of 2-2.5 m. After suffering from whooping cough, re-infection is possible, but it is extremely rare. Newborns and children under one year of age have the greatest risk of contracting whooping cough, since they do not yet have their own antibodies to whooping cough, and maternal antibodies last for 1-1.5 months.

Continuous irritation of the respiratory tract receptors contributes to the appearance of paroxysmal cough, and overexcitation of the cough center in the brain occurs, where a dominant is formed. In this regard, whooping cough can be caused by any irritant. Next to the cough center in the brain there is also a vomiting center. Excitement is easily transferred to him, and vomiting occurs. The same transition of excitation is associated with the development of attacks of muscle spasms of the body and face.

Symptoms of whooping cough in children

The incubation period averages 5-8 days, but can last from 3 to 14 days.

Stages

Catarrhal

The general condition of the child remains without significant changes. Body temperature may rise to subfebrile levels (37.5 o C). A dry cough appears, worsening in the evening and at night. The cough gradually becomes obsessive and gradually becomes paroxysmal. There may be a runny nose, decreased appetite, restlessness and irritability. The symptoms resemble those of pharyngitis, laryngitis, and tracheitis. The more severe the disease, the shorter the catarrhal stage. Thus, in children in the first year of life, the duration of the catarrhal period is 3-5 days, in older children – up to 14 days.

Paroxysmal

Begins 2-3 weeks from the onset of the disease. This stage is characterized by the presence of spasmodic coughing attacks (paroxysms).

Outside of the attack, the child feels well and behaves normally. Children feel the approach of an attack, the younger ones show anxiety and run to their mother, the older ones may complain of a sore throat. After this, coughing attacks begin. Short coughing bursts appear one after another, making it difficult to breathe.

When it becomes possible to inhale, it usually occurs after shocks; air enters the respiratory tract with a loud whistle. This moment is called a reprise. An attack consists of several series of coughing impulses with repetitions, usually from 3 to 6. During an attack, the child’s face turns red or blue, the veins in the neck swell, and the tongue with its tip raised is protruded forward as much as possible.

During an attack there may be convulsions, loss of consciousness, spontaneous urination and defecation. At the end of the attack, a large amount of thick, viscous sputum is released, and vomiting may occur.

An attack can be caused by any irritant: bright light, fuss around the child, sudden noise, violent emotions (crying, fear, laughter, excitement).

An increase in body temperature during this period is not typical.

Severity

  • Русский
  • Mild – the number of paroxysms is from 8 to 10 per day, they do not end with vomiting, the child’s general health is good;
  • Average – the number of paroxysms is about 15 per day, accompanied by vomiting; outside of an attack, children are lethargic, capricious, sleep and appetite are disturbed; the face is somewhat puffy, the eyelids are swollen, there may be redness of the eyes;
  • Severe - the number of paroxysms is more than 20 per day, can increase to 30. The skin is pale with blue discoloration of the nasolabial triangle, there may be damage to the frenulum of the tongue. In very severe cases, a disorder of cerebral circulation may develop with convulsions, fainting, and there may be a cerebral hemorrhage;

This stage can last more than 8 weeks, but towards the end the attacks become less pronounced and prolonged;

  • Reverse development. Lasts up to 4 weeks. At this time, the attacks soften, occur practically without vomiting, and the child’s general condition and well-being improves.
  • Get well. During the recovery period, the child remains susceptible to various infections, against which the cough may return. This period lasts up to 6 months.

    • Atypical forms of whooping cough

    • Erased. Characterized by the presence of a prolonged obsessive cough, which is practically untreatable with conventional means. There are no classic coughing attacks. This form of whooping cough is typical for children vaccinated against whooping cough.
    • Abortive. In this case, the paroxysmal stage lasts several days, after which the cough goes away.
    • Asymptomatic. Identified by examining contact persons in whooping cough outbreaks.

    Whooping cough in young children

    Whooping cough in young children is very severe and the incubation period is shorter. The short catarrhal stage turns into a long paroxysmal period.

    There may not be a classic coughing attack; it is replaced by sneezing, restlessness, screaming, and the child assumes the fetal position. Reprises, if any, are not clearly defined. There may be apnea (stopping breathing) during an attack or between attacks; sleep apnea is especially dangerous. Younger children have a very high risk of developing complications.

    Complications

    Whooping cough is especially severe in children in the first six months of life; mild forms are not found under the age of 3 months. Children in this age group have a high risk of mortality (death).

    • Apnea (which can lead to sudden death);
    • Atelectasis of the lung;
    • Convulsions;
    • Lung rupture and emphysema;
    • Bronchiectasis;
    • Encephalopathy – changes in the brain of a non-inflammatory nature, which can lead to subsequent epileptic seizures and deafness;
    • Bronchopneumonia;
    • Bronchitis;
    • Rupture of the eardrum, rectal prolapse and hernia.

    Acute respiratory diseases (especially influenza) adversely affect the course of whooping cough, causing severe bronchopulmonary complications.

    Diagnostics

    The main method in diagnosing whooping cough is bacteriological - isolating the causative agent of whooping cough.

    During the catarrhal period, it is quite difficult to recognize whooping cough. Typically, the diagnosis of whooping cough is made when there is reliable evidence of contact with someone who has whooping cough.

    In the paroxysmal period, it is easier to suspect whooping cough, but in its classic course. So with erased and abortive forms of less pronounced attacks. It should be remembered that with some infectious diseases of the respiratory tract caused by other microorganisms, attacks of whooping cough may occur.

    This is typical for adenovirus infection, infectious mononucleosis, and viral pneumonia. Such a cough can also occur when the bronchi or other airways are compressed from the outside, for example, by a tumor.

    The causative agent of whooping cough is isolated using a swab from the oropharynx and subsequent inoculation of the material on a nutrient medium in the laboratory. The microorganism can also be isolated using the “cough patch” method, when a child coughs directly onto a Petri dish with a nutrient medium. The first method is more effective.

    If the results of the bacteriological method are negative (the microorganism is not detected in smears from the oropharynx) and if whooping cough is suspected, serological research methods can be used. To do this, the titer of antibodies to the causative agent of whooping cough and its toxins is examined in venous blood. The diagnosis of whooping cough is valid when the antibody titer increases 4 times and the antibody titer ratio is 1:80 or more.

    Differential diagnosis is carried out with various respiratory infections during the catarrhal period. During the paroxysmal period, it is advisable to distinguish whooping cough from bronchial asthma, cystic fibrosis, bronchoadenitis against the background of a tumor or tuberculosis, or foreign body entering the respiratory tract.

    Treatment of whooping cough

    Older children with mild whooping cough can be treated at home.

    Indications for hospitalization:

    1. Children under one year of age;
    2. Moderate and severe form of the disease;
    3. According to epidemiological indications (children from boarding schools, orphanages);
    4. If complications or concomitant diseases arise, especially if they aggravate the course of whooping cough;
    5. In unfavorable living conditions and the lack of adequate child care.

    Main methods of treatment:

    • Routine and child care

    It is necessary to provide the child with a calm environment at home, to exclude watching TV, violent emotions, and outdoor games. If the body temperature is not elevated, it is better to walk the child outside more often (preferably near water sources: pond, river, lake), but avoid contact with other children. In the fresh air, coughing bothers the child less.

    The room where the child is located must be ventilated as often as possible. The air must be humidified; if it is not possible to use a humidifier, you can install containers of water in the room and hang wet towels, this is especially necessary during the heating season.

    • Diet

      A sick child's nutrition should be complete; it is better to reduce the portion size and increase the frequency of feedings. It is important not to interrupt breastfeeding in infants. Older children should not eat dry food, as solid food particles irritate the back of the throat and provoke a cough. During illness, the child should drink plenty of fluids (tea, fruit drinks, juices, mineral water). It must be remembered that chewing can also cause a coughing attack, so it is better if the food is in puree form (exclude chewing gum!).

    • Antibacterial treatment and specific therapy.

      The use of broad-spectrum antibiotics is effective in the early stages of the disease (at this time the pathogen is in the body). Antibacterial drugs are prescribed during the catarrhal period and the first days of the paroxysmal period. For this purpose, macrolides (clarithromycin, azithromycin), tetracycline are used. Duration of use is 5-7 days.

      It is allowed to use anti-pertussis specific immunoglobulin intramuscularly.

    • Symptomatic treatment.

      Antitussive drugs are used to reduce the cough reflex. The most effective drugs in this case are Stoptussin and Sinecode.

    • Vitamin therapy.

    Prevention

    Isolation of the patient and contact persons

    A child with whooping cough is isolated from other children for 25 days from the onset of the disease until two negative results are obtained from a bacteriological examination. In a children's group, children under 7 years of age who have been in contact with a patient with whooping cough are quarantined for 2 weeks from the date of isolation of the sick child.

    Administration of anti-pertussis gamma globulin (hyperimmune)

    • All children under one year old;
    • Unvaccinated children over one year old or with an unfinished vaccination schedule against whooping cough; Weak children over one year old, with infectious and chronic diseases

    Vaccination

    The most effective method of preventing whooping cough is vaccination with whole-cell and acellular vaccines.

    Currently, the DPT vaccine (whooping cough, diphtheria, tetanus), Infanrix (analogue of DPT), Pentaxim (whooping cough, diphtheria, tetanus, infection from Haemophilus influenzae, polio), Tetraxim, Hexavak (whooping cough, diphtheria, tetanus, infection from Haemophilus influenzae) is used coli, polio, viral hepatitis B) and others.

    Source: http://doctor-detkin.ru/bolezni/koklyush/

    Whooping cough in children: symptoms and treatment

    Whooping cough is one of the childhood infections transmitted by airborne droplets, the main symptom of which is a spasmodic cough. The prevalence of whooping cough in our country has begun to increase in recent years, which is due, among other things, to the increasing number of refusals and unjustified medical exemptions from preventive vaccinations.

    It is important for every parent 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 an 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. The main feature is a persistent cough that continues to get worse despite treatment.

    Spasmodic period

    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.

    The appearance of a child during a coughing attack is characteristic: he sticks out his tongue strongly, his face becomes puffy, turns red and then becomes burgundy-bluish, his lips turn blue, and 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 coughing attacks.

    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. The cough with parawhooping cough 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 (bronchitis, pneumonia) or caused by cough paroxysms (spontaneous pneumothorax). One of the most severe complications is encephalopathy (brain damage due to whooping cough due to impaired blood flow and insufficient oxygen supply due to repeated coughing attacks). Encephalopathy causes seizures, confusion, and loss of consciousness.

    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

    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 test - hyperleukocytosis is detected (the number of leukocytes increases 3-4 times compared to the age norm).

    Bacteriological examination of a smear of mucus from the back of the throat 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

    Warm drinks and gentle nutrition are recommended to avoid irritation of the mucous membranes of the oropharynx and subsequent coughing attacks. The child’s menu should not include:

    Drug treatment

    Antibiotics

    Pertussis bacillus can be easily destroyed with 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, one drug is usually replaced every other day 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 sedatives (valerian, motherwort) are used; in hospital settings - sedatives and anticonvulsants, oxygen therapy.

    Prevention

    The main measure to prevent whooping cough is vaccination. No matter how much opponents of compulsory vaccination against whooping cough speak out, the fact remains: if a child is not vaccinated, the 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.

    Vaccination performed on a healthy (or almost healthy, without contraindications) child is practically safe. The most common unpleasant effect from it is fever and pain at the injection site, but these effects can also be avoided by using modern purified vaccines (such as Infanrix or Pentaxim). Getting whooping cough from the vaccine itself is a myth because the vaccine does not contain live bacteria.

    Dear parents, believe me, it is easier to prepare for routine vaccination and lower the temperature after vaccination (or spend money on an imported purified vaccine) than to watch your baby’s exhausting coughing attacks for several months and not be able to somehow alleviate them. Of course, there are cases when vaccination against whooping cough is truly contraindicated, but this applies to children with severe pathology of the central nervous system and some other diseases. But even in these cases, it is recommended to periodically evaluate the child’s condition, weighing the degree of risk of complications from vaccination and the risk of complications from possible infection with whooping cough.

    Which doctor should I contact?

    If episodes of dry cough occur in children, you should contact your pediatrician. After diagnosis, in severe cases, the child may be hospitalized in an infectious diseases hospital. Often there is a need for differential diagnosis of whooping cough and bronchial asthma, so an examination by an allergist and pulmonologist is required.

    View popular articles

    Reply Don't reply

    Help the children

    Helpful information

    Contact the specialists

    Phone number for appointments with medical specialists in Moscow:

    The information is provided for informational purposes only. Do not self-medicate. At the first sign of disease, consult a doctor.

    Editorial office address: Moscow, 3rd Frunzenskaya st., 26

    Source: http://myfamilydoctor.ru/koklyush-u-detej-simptomy-i-lechenie/