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| The Whooping Cough |
Hello all, still dealing with the topic of yesterday and today we discussed about Whooping Cough. Whooping cough or pertussis is a bacterial infection of the lungs and respiratory tract that is easily transmitted. Whooping cough was considered a disease of children when the pertussis vaccine has not been found. Actually, whooping cough can also affects adults, but the disease can be life threatening when it occurs in the elderly and children, especially infants who are not old enough to get a pertussis vaccine.
This disease has characteristics of a continuous barrage of harsh cough that begins deep breath through the mouth (whoop). A person can suffer from whooping cough for up to three months, so the disease is also commonly called "hundred-day cough".
Whooping cough can make people a lack of oxygen in his blood. Moreover, it can happen a variety of complications, such as pneumonia. Even people with whooping cough may inadvertently injure their ribs as coughing very hard.
Whooping cough can spread rapidly from person to person. Therefore, the pertussis vaccine is needed to prevent a person exposed to whooping cough.
Symptoms of Whooping Cough
Generally, the symptoms of whooping cough will appear between 7 days to 21 days after the bacteria Bordetella pertussis into the respiratory tract of a person. The development of the symptoms of whooping cough, there are three stages, especially in infants and young children:
1. First Phase (period of initial symptoms): the emergence of mild symptoms such as runny and stuffy nose, sneezing, watery eyes, sore throat, mild cough, until the fever. This stage can last up to two weeks, and at this stage people with a risk of spreading pertussis to those around him.
2. Second Stage (paroxysmal period): This stage is marked by the easing of all the symptoms of flu, but coughing actually getting worse, and uncontrollable. In this phase occurs continuously loud cough that begins deep breath through the mouth (whoop). After coughing, the patient may experience vomiting (usually in infants and children) as well as the body experience fatigue. This stage can last from two to four weeks or more.
3. Third stage (healing period): This is the stage of the patient's body began to improve, but the symptoms of whooping cough persists even patient may cough louder. The recovery phase can last up to two months or more depending on the medication.
Here are a few conditions that must immediately accept the doctor's care:
- Infants 0-6 months old looks very unhealthy.
- Your child or difficulty breathing.
- You or the child has serious complications, such as seizures or pneumonia.
- Removing the sound when breathing.
- Vomiting due to severe whooping cough.
- The body becomes flushed or blue.
Causes of Whooping Cough
Bordetella pertussis bacteria are spread through the air is the cause of whooping cough attack on someone. These bacteria enter and then attack the wall of the trachea and bronchi (branching trachea that leads to the right lung and the left).
Swelling of the airways is one way the body reacts to infection by bacteria. Airways swell can make the patient must inhale strongly through the mouth because of breathing difficulties. Results of strong breath is what causes the sound dengkingan (whoop) long.
Another way would do the body when the bacteria infects the airway wall is to produce thick mucus. The body will stimulate people with whooping cough to attempt to remove the thick mucus.
Diagnosis Whooping Cough
Whooping cough is still at an early stage is quite difficult to diagnose, because the flu or bronchitis have symptoms that are similar. Usually the symptoms of cough in patients with cough and listen to the sound produced, the doctor was able to diagnose whooping cough.
Doctors also can add other tests, namely:
- Blood tests. The doctor will identify an increase in white blood cells. Also to find the bacteria Bordetella pertussis antibodies in the blood of patients.
- Sampling of mucus from the nose or throat. The doctor will examine whether the patient mucus contains bacteria Bordetella pertussis.
- X-ray Imaging goal is to see if the lung suffers an inflammation or a buildup of fluid. This condition can arise when whooping cough had complications with pneumonia or other respiratory tract infections.
Whooping Cough Treatment
Be careful when taking OTC drugs to treat whooping cough. Because many types of cough medicine on the market that was less potent cure whooping cough. Even these drugs can not relieve symptoms of cough.
Overcoming whooping cough in infants and children
Infants and children who have whooping cough will be placed in isolation to prevent the spread of infection. The main treatment is given antibiotics to fight the bacteria causing the infection. Corticosteroids will be given to address the inflammation in the airways. Both antibiotics and corticosteroids can be given intravenously. Okasigen lid can be provided to assist breathing.
Infants and children with whooping cough severe enough to cause damage to their lungs. Special handling at the hospital will concentrate on the use of breathing apparatus (ventilation) and the provision of drugs to control their blood pressure with drugs.
In the more severe circumstances, can be done extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO = extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), which will be directly supplied oxygen to the body without passing through the lungs. This procedure will be given if other techniques are not successful and lungs already suffered considerable damage.
Handling in adolescents and adults
Treatment of whooping cough in adolescents and adults usually can be treated at home or with antibiotics as prescribed. Here are some simple steps to self-handling at home:
- To cure the symptoms of fever and sore throat, you can take ibuprofen or paracetamol.
- To avoid dehydration, it is advisable to drink plenty of water.
- Remove any mucus or vomiting when coughing so that the patient does not choke or inhaled back.
- It is recommended to get plenty of rest.
Complications of Whooping Cough
Whooping cough patients were at higher risk of complications are infants and children. Complications that may occur in children and adults are:
- Breath disjointed.
- Dehydration and weight loss due to excessive vomiting.
- Pneumonia.
- Low blood pressure.
- Experiencing seizures.
- Damage to the brain due to lack of oxygen supply to the brain.
- Kidney failure.
Complications that occur in infants under the age of six months could endanger lives, and they need immediate medical attention in hospital.
While whooping cough in adults also have a variety of complications, but generally milder, among others: the ribs bruised or cracked, abdominal hernia, nosebleeds, ear infection, rupture of blood vessels in the skin or whites of the eyes, the appearance of canker sores on the tongue and mouth, and face swelling.
Prevention Whooping Cough
Pertussis Vaccination is the best way to prevent whooping cough. Doctors usually give pertussis vaccine together with diphtheria, tetanus, polio (DPT vaccine) and Hib.
Here is a vaccination schedule for pertussis:
- At the age of 2 months.
- At the age of 4 months.
- At the age of 6 months.
- At the age of 1.5 to 2 years.
- At the age of 5 years.
The pertussis vaccine is very safe, but there are some side effects that arise after vaccination, such as pain, redness, and swelling at the injection site. Possibility baby will also become irritable, fever, and often cry.
Pregnant women also need to be vaccinated against pertussis. Get pertussis vaccination during pregnancy helps protect infants whooping cough in the early weeks after birth. Pertussis vaccination will be offered to all pregnant women when their gestational age between 28-38 weeks. If you want to get a pertussis vaccination during pregnancy, consult your gynecologist.
In addition to pregnant women and infants, pertussis vaccination additional (booster) must be given due protection function tends to weaken. This additional vaccinations can be given when:
- Youth. Pertussis vaccine immunity will weaken begin when a person aged 11 years. Then age be a great time to get a pertussis booster vaccination.
- Adult. Some types of tetanus and diphtheria vaccines are given regularly every 10 years or so also has the function to protect against whooping cough. Vaccines of this type also reduce your risk of transmitting pertussis to infants.
To avoid the spread of whooping cough, the patient should rest home until completing a dose of antibiotics by doctors. People who frequently interact with patients should be given preventive measures to avoid contagion. Precautions against whooping cough include antibiotics. Doctors can also give booster pertussis vaccine.
People who are prone to contracting whooping cough are:
- Pregnant women when the last trimester of pregnancy.
- Newborn baby.
- Infants under the age of 1 year and not getting complete DPT vaccination.
- People with weakened immune systems.
- People who suffer from chronic diseases such as asthma or heart failure.
- Children aged under 10 years who have not been vaccinated against DPT.
In addition, there are also groups who are vulnerable to transmit, namely workers health facilities, social care, and child care. These people also need to be given a precaution.
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