Pertussis in children - symptoms and treatment at all stages of the disease

Since 3 months, the kids have been given DPT several times. One of its components is pertussis microbial cells (in scanty amounts). Without vaccination, the child's chances of contracting these bacteria increase dramatically, as do the risks of developing dangerous complications.

Pertussis - What is this disease?

The name of the pathology comes from the French "la coqueluche", an onomatopoeic word meaning a rooster cry or a chicken scream. In medicine, there is a clear definition of what is whooping cough - an acute infectious disease of the upper respiratory tract, which is provoked by specific bacteria. The disease is characterized by a catarrhal process in combination with spasmodic attacks of severe cough.

Whooping cough - Causes

This inflammation causes a gram-negative rod, which is easily transmitted by airborne droplets. The causative agent of whooping cough is the aerobic bacterium Bordetella pertussis. It does not differ in stability to the environment, warm and humid conditions are optimal for its life, which explains the seasonality of the pathology (mainly spring and autumn). It is important to detect pertussis in a timely manner in children, the symptoms and treatment of infection is easier in the early stages of the disease. Otherwise, serious complications can occur.

Pertussis - incubation period

After close contact with a sick person, the child does not immediately have clinical signs of infection. Pertussis in children first proceeds secretly. Bacteria gradually colonize the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, and in the process of vital activity they release toxins that cause specific symptoms. The incubation period is about 5-9 days, rarely it increases to 20 days.

What is dangerous for whooping cough?

Without timely therapy, the described pathology provokes serious consequences. Especially in infancy, whooping cough is dangerous in children, the symptoms and treatment in infants is difficult to diagnose and select. Among the babies of the first months of life, there is a high probability of even a lethal outcome. What is dangerous for whooping cough in children:

Signs of Whooping Cough in a Child

The clinical picture immediately after infection and during the incubation period is absent. The first signs of whooping cough are observed after 4-20 days from the time of infection. Their severity and amount depends on the general condition of the child and the functioning of the immune system. Symptomatic pathology further corresponds to the stage of its progression.

Pertussis Periods

There are 3 active stages of development of the presented disease. The symptoms and treatment depend on the period of progression in whooping cough in children. In most cases, early signs of pathology by parents are ignored. First, pertussis resembles a standard ARI or ARVI. Stages of infectious inflammation of the respiratory tract:

  1. Catarrhal (prodromal). Children's condition is satisfactory. Slightly increases body temperature, there is malaise, anxiety, sleep disturbances. There is a dry cough and a weak cold, a periodic headache.
  2. Spasmodic. Symptoms are aggravated, standard treatment does not help. For this period are characterized by attacks of a specific cough. On the eve of a child feels a sensation in the throat, a sense of fear, pressure in the chest. Cough tremors are very strong, alternating with wheezing and heavy convulsive breaths. During an attack in children, the face swells, the veins on the neck swell, blood vessels appear in the eyes, there is salivation and lacrimation, sometimes the skin becomes bluish-pale. After coughing spasms, a small amount of viscous transparent sputum is expectorated.
  3. Recovering (resolution). With proper treatment, the severity of symptoms gradually decreases. Children have fewer seizures, but weakness, irritability and coughing are present for a long time. The duration of this stage is 2-8 weeks.

Cough with whooping cough

The intensity and nature of this sign of pathology depend on the period of its course. First, a light dry cough accompanies whooping cough in children, symptoms and treatment at an early stage are often ignored, because parents perceive a child's ailment as a cold or hypothermia. Gradually, the clinical picture intensifies. The disease of whooping cough provokes a cough with the following features:

Rash with whooping cough

There are no noticeable or specific skin signs in the described disease. It is extremely rare in some areas visually determined whooping cough, the symptoms of the baby sometimes include a hemorrhagic rash. This is a small point hemorrhage, arising from the rupture of capillaries in the epidermal layer during coughing attacks. They gradually resolve themselves.

Diagnosis of pertussis

There are several ways to confirm the progression of the pathology in question. First you need to see the doctors:

After consultation and anamnesis, specialists will refer the child to laboratory or instrumental studies. The main method of diagnosis is the analysis of whooping cough to isolate the pathogen. As a material for the study, a smear from the pharynx or expectorated sputum during the cough process is taken. This analysis is only reliable in the first weeks of disease progression. A month after infection, the bacterium Bordetella pertussis can not be isolated.

Additionally, the blood for pertussis is examined in several ways:

  1. General analysis. It is necessary to identify the classic signs of the inflammatory process in the body - elevated levels of leukocytes and lymphocytes.
  2. Immunoenzyme analysis (ELISA). Express test, which immediately confirms or refutes the presence of whooping cough.
  3. The reaction of direct and indirect hemagglutination (RPGA and RNGA). Antibodies to the causative agent of pathology are revealed.
  4. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Cultivation of bacteria in a nutrient medium for several days.

Pertussis - treatment

Stationary therapy is needed only with medium and severe form of the disease, infecting infants. Standard treatment for whooping cough in children is performed at home with the following recommendations:

  1. Isolate the baby until it is contagious.
  2. Daily hygienic cleaning of the baby's room.
  3. Maintain high humidity and room temperature at 18-20 degrees.
  4. Frequent airing, ensuring airflow.
  5. Moderate physical and psychoemotional loads.
  6. Gentle diet with sufficient calorie content of vitamins and minerals. It is desirable to pure food, give it only warm.
  7. Abundant drink.
  8. Walking 1-2 hours 1-2 times a day (if the child is not the source of infection).

Whooping cough - what to do in case of an attack?

If the disease runs without complications, no special actions need to be taken.

Simple ways to relieve cough with whooping cough

  1. Increase the humidity in the room.
  2. Bring the child to fresh cool air.
  3. Plant the baby and tilt it forward.
  4. Rub the back to facilitate sputum discharge.
  5. Apply a cold compress on the nose area.

When there are signs of oxygen deficiency, suffocation, you must immediately call a team of emergency medical care. Experts use more intensive methods, how to treat whooping cough in children:

Medications with pertussis

Drug therapy can be selected and appointed only by a doctor in accordance with the stage of development of pathology, its severity. Treatment of pertussis in children with antibiotics is carried out exclusively in the catarrhal period. Later, bacteria-pathogens are independently excreted from the body with the help of cough and separation of sputum. Antimicrobial agents used:

Additional pharmacological methods, how to treat whooping cough, suggest the use of the following drugs only for the doctor's prescription:

Physiotherapy also helps to eliminate whooping cough in children, symptoms and treatment are facilitated by:

Whooping cough - folk methods of treatment in children

All alternative therapies are aimed at improving the expectoration of mucus, removing pathogens from the body. The popular treatment of whooping cough produces the following positive effects:

Herbal cough for whooping cough in children

Ingredients :

Preparation, application

  1. Mix all the ingredients.
  2. Put in a thermos 2 tbsp. spoons of the collection.
  3. Pour them with boiling water.
  4. Insist 8-10 hours, you can leave for the night.
  5. Strain the solution.
  6. Give the baby a third of the glass infusion 3-4 times a day.

Drink to treat pertussis

Ingredients :

Preparation, application

  1. Peel the garlic, cut into small cubes.
  2. Boil it in milk for 3-5 minutes (over low heat).
  3. Strain the drink, sweeten with honey.
  4. Give the baby a small portion during the day.

Vegetable broth from the symptoms of whooping cough in children

Ingredients :

Preparation, application

  1. Pour boiled grass crushed grass plantain.
  2. Insist 2 hours.
  3. Strain the medicine.
  4. Sweeten with jam (optional).
  5. Children give 1 tbsp. spoon of the remedy for 20 minutes before meals, 4 times a day.

Prophylaxis of pertussis

The only effective way to prevent infection is timely vaccination. The standard vaccination against whooping cough is DTP . In addition to this disease, it serves as the prevention of diphtheria and tetanus. The first injection is done at 3 months. Revaccination consists of 2 more procedures, the interval between vaccinations is 6 weeks. You can replace DPT with other drugs: