Characterized by severe coughing spells, whooping cough is a respiratory system illness caused by bacteria. This eMedTV article provides an overview of whooping cough, including information about its symptoms, complications, and treatment options.
Whooping cough occurs due to infection with Bordetella pertussis bacteria. This eMedTV resource explains how the bacteria cause whooping cough and includes information on how the bacteria are transmitted.
How is whooping cough spread? As discussed in this eMedTV segment, spreading of whooping cough most commonly occurs when an infected person coughs or sneezes and sends the bacteria that cause the illness through the air to another person.
With whooping cough, symptoms range from those seen with a cold or flu to severe episodes of coughing. This eMedTV segment explores the three general stages of symptoms associated with whooping cough and defines the incubation period for the illness.
As explained in this eMedTV resource, making a whooping cough diagnosis often involves ruling out other conditions that may be causing the patient's symptoms, such as bronchitis. This article outlines the steps involved in diagnosing whooping cough.
As this eMedTV Web page explains, the treatment of whooping cough usually involves antibiotics along with supportive care to relieve symptoms of the illness. This article takes a detailed look at aspects of treating this condition.
In cases of whooping cough, complications may include pneumonia, difficulty breathing, and seizures. This eMedTV segment lists potential complications of whooping cough in adults and explains the severity of complications that may occur in infants.
DTaP is a vaccine used to prevent bacterial infections that cause diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. This eMedTV resource further describes the vaccine and offers information about vaccination schedules and precautions to be aware of.
Whooping cough in infants can be very serious; without proper treatment, the illness can even be fatal. This eMedTV Web page discusses the prevalence of whooping cough among infants and outlines the vaccination schedule to help prevent the illness.
Cases of whooping cough in adults have increased dramatically in recent years. This eMedTV article looks at some of the differences between how whooping cough affects children and adults. Symptoms of the infection tend to be less severe in adults.
This eMedTV page offers some statistics on whooping cough; for example, a total of 25,827 cases of the illness were reported in 2004. This article also explains how the number of cases in the post-vaccine era compares to the number in the pre-vaccine era.
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