Pertussis
Pathophysiology
Pertussis is an extremely contagious respiratory infection that is usually referred to as “whooping cough”. This is a respiratory disease that is caused by the organism Bordetella pertussis this is a gram- negative bacteria that is transmitted only from human to human. Pertussis is transmitted through droplets up to 3 weeks after the cough has started if untreated. After it is inhaled the organism attaches itself to the ciliated respiratory epithelial cells that are in the upper respiratory tract and also in the nasopharynx. Once they attach, the initiation of local tissue damage commences. This is due to toxins that are released which cause injury to the protective respiratory cells. The toxins paralyze the cilia, …show more content…
This is aside the fact of high rates of vaccination. Pertussis continues to be a leading cause of vaccine preventable deaths worldwide. The deaths occur more in young infants who are either not vaccinated or are not completely vaccinated. Pertussis is a worldwide issue, but the highest rates are in the developing world as their access to vaccination is low, in developed countries the highest incidence is in unvaccinated infants and then the incidence increases in teens again (Center for Disease Control, …show more content…
If treatment is started in the early stage of the illness being during the first 1 to 2 weeks this is before the coughing paroxysms start, the symptoms may be reduced. If there is a clinical history that is inclined to a diagnosis of pertussis or the patient is an infant or young child at risk for complication of the disease, it is not recommended to wait for test results before starting treatment. This is of importance being that if there is a late diagnosis antibiotics will not change the course of the illness, and they are not infectious anymore at this point as the contagious stage lasts from the initiation of the catarrhal phase through the third week of the start of the paroxysms, or five days after the initiation of effective antibiotics if early. The CDC also supports postexposure antibiotic use in persons who are at high risk of developing severe pertussis and to persons who will be in close contact with those that are at high risk for developing severe pertussis. The guidelines suggest treating persons older than 1 year of age within 3 week of cough onset and infants younger than 1 year and pregnant women who are especially near term within 6 weeks of cough onset. Administer a course of antibiotics to close contacts within 3 weeks of being exposed. The anitbiotics that are to be used for treatment are azithromycin, clarithromycin, and
Pathophysiology
Pertussis is an extremely contagious respiratory infection that is usually referred to as “whooping cough”. This is a respiratory disease that is caused by the organism Bordetella pertussis this is a gram- negative bacteria that is transmitted only from human to human. Pertussis is transmitted through droplets up to 3 weeks after the cough has started if untreated. After it is inhaled the organism attaches itself to the ciliated respiratory epithelial cells that are in the upper respiratory tract and also in the nasopharynx. Once they attach, the initiation of local tissue damage commences. This is due to toxins that are released which cause injury to the protective respiratory cells. The toxins paralyze the cilia, …show more content…
This is aside the fact of high rates of vaccination. Pertussis continues to be a leading cause of vaccine preventable deaths worldwide. The deaths occur more in young infants who are either not vaccinated or are not completely vaccinated. Pertussis is a worldwide issue, but the highest rates are in the developing world as their access to vaccination is low, in developed countries the highest incidence is in unvaccinated infants and then the incidence increases in teens again (Center for Disease Control, …show more content…
If treatment is started in the early stage of the illness being during the first 1 to 2 weeks this is before the coughing paroxysms start, the symptoms may be reduced. If there is a clinical history that is inclined to a diagnosis of pertussis or the patient is an infant or young child at risk for complication of the disease, it is not recommended to wait for test results before starting treatment. This is of importance being that if there is a late diagnosis antibiotics will not change the course of the illness, and they are not infectious anymore at this point as the contagious stage lasts from the initiation of the catarrhal phase through the third week of the start of the paroxysms, or five days after the initiation of effective antibiotics if early. The CDC also supports postexposure antibiotic use in persons who are at high risk of developing severe pertussis and to persons who will be in close contact with those that are at high risk for developing severe pertussis. The guidelines suggest treating persons older than 1 year of age within 3 week of cough onset and infants younger than 1 year and pregnant women who are especially near term within 6 weeks of cough onset. Administer a course of antibiotics to close contacts within 3 weeks of being exposed. The anitbiotics that are to be used for treatment are azithromycin, clarithromycin, and