What is pertussis? Symptoms in children, the treatment of this disease and the causes of its occurrence will be presented below. We will also tell you about what measures should be taken to avoid the development of this disease.
basic information
Paracussis in children is a fairly common infection. However, in fairness it should be noted that such a disease develops much less frequently than whooping cough. Such diseases are completely unrelated to each other. Most often, children 3-6 years old and very rarely babies up to one year old and adolescents are sick with pertussis.
What is pertussis?
Symptoms in children, treatment of this disease should be determined only by an experienced pediatrician.
Paracussis is a disease of an acute nature and an infectious origin. It is characterized by persistent, dry and paroxysmal cough, as well as the phenomenon of tracheobronchitis.
The signs of the disease in question are very similar to the clinical picture of mild pertussis. Usually, after a disease, a person develops a stable and type-specific immunity. Re-infection is impossible, or its risk is low.
Routes of transmission and causes of the disease
The causative agent of the disease in question is Bordetella parapertussis. This is a pertussis bacillus, which has the same pathogenic properties as pertussis bacillus. It should be noted that it is distinguished by some cultural and biochemical characteristics.
How is pertussis transmitted (symptoms in children, treatment will be discussed below)? The source of infection is a sick child, and sometimes a bacterium carrier. The infection is transmitted by airborne droplets.
The disease in question is characterized by periodic outbreaks of incidence, as well as epidemic outbreaks in kindergartens and schools.
Forms of Infectious Disease
What forms does a disease such as pertussis have? Symptoms in children, the treatment of this disease depend on the type of pathology developed. Specialists distinguish several forms of paracough:
- typical;
- atypical (asymptomatic course, carriage of bacteria, erased form).
It should also be noted that this disease can occur:
- in moderate form;
- mild form.
Depending on the complications, the disease in question is divided into:
- uncomplicated (with a smooth course);
- complicated (with the addition of a secondary infection or exacerbation of chronic diseases).
Paracussus: symptoms in children
The treatment, reviews and tips for preventing this disease will be discussed below.
The incubation period of such a disease lasts for 4-14 days. The clinical picture of pertussis is characterized by the presence of three periods of development of pathological signs. The first symptoms, or the so-called catarrhal period, can be confused with the manifestations of influenza or ARI:
- sore and sore throat;
- dry cough;
- minor rhinitis.
This period lasts for 3-5 days. Then comes the spasmodic period. The following symptoms are characteristic of it:
- with an atypical form, a moist and intrusive cough with sputum discharge appears;
- with a pertussis-like course, the patient has a paroxysmal cough, which ends with a whistling breath or vomiting (attacks occur no more than 7 times a day).
According to doctors, coughing attacks develop due to mechanical irritants, excessive activity, or nervous strain.
Typically, the duration of the spasmodic period does not exceed two weeks.
During the reverse development of the disease, the cough weakens, and then completely disappears (in about 3 days). In this case, the temperature in the child remains normal. As for the catarrhal and spasmodic period, then with them, the baby may have subfebrile condition.
Complications
What are the complications of pertussis? Symptoms (and treatment) in children of this disease are known to every pediatrician, and the pathology should be detected on time. This is due to the fact that the disease in question can cause serious complications that are associated with the attachment of a secondary infection.
Most often, with pertussis, diseases of the respiratory tract develop, including pleurisy, pneumonia and bronchitis. There are also complications such as pneumothorax, emphysema, and prolapse of the rectum.
How is it diagnosed?
If your baby has a strong dry cough and there is no fever, then you should immediately contact a specialist (ENT, pulmonologist, pediatrician or infectious disease specialist).
In making the correct diagnosis, information about the child’s last contact with a sick person is of great importance. Also, the baby is recommended to take tests for pertussis and pertussis .
In children, to confirm the diagnosis, the following examinations are carried out:
- bacterial culture of a smear taken from the posterior pharyngeal wall;
- chest x-ray;
- blood test for the presence of antibodies to pertussis.
Treatment process
How to treat pertussis in children? The doctor will tell you about this in detail. In most cases, the treatment of such a disease is carried out on an outpatient basis. However, in some situations, the child is still hospitalized. As a rule, this happens if the baby is not yet three years old or if the disease is extremely severe. In addition, the child is observed only in the hospital if he has any serious complications.
According to the statements of experienced specialists, there is no specific treatment for such a disease. However, to stop unpleasant symptoms, doctors recommend the following measures:
- vitamin therapy, desensitizing treatment;
- providing in the room where the patient is located an optimal microclimate, that is, moist and cool air;
- oxygen barotherapy, regular inhalation with moist air through a nebulizer;
- frequent walks in the fresh air (preferably away from highways).
Drug treatment
As mentioned above, there is no specific treatment for infantile pertussis. However, doctors still prescribe certain medications for babies.
Of the medicines prescribed by specialists, sick children can use:
- sedatives;
- "Tussin Plus" or "Broncholithin" (especially in the catarrhal period);
- antibiotic agents (macrolides) in case of a complicated course of the disease (only for children under one year old).
We can not say that the following procedures are actively used for pertussis:
- acupuncture;
- physiotherapy.
Experts say that during the course of such a disease it is extremely important to refuse to take solid foods in the form of cookies, crackers, hard fruits and vegetables. You should also refrain from active actions and games that can contribute to the development of paroxysmal cough.
Preventative measures
Now you know what pertussis and pertussis are . Differences in children were presented slightly higher.
As in the case of treatment, there is no specific prophylaxis for such a disease. Preventive measures should be aimed at preventing the spread of infection in the children's team. For this sick baby, isolate for 25 days from the onset of the disease. At the same time, contact persons undergo bacteriological examination at least two times.
If an infection occurs in kindergartens or schools, they are quarantined for a period of two weeks.
Expert advice and reviews
In order not to infect other children with pertussis, when walking with a sick baby, it is strictly forbidden to contact them.
According to doctors, vaccination against pertussis does not protect the child from pertussis.
To humidify the air in the room where the patient is, just open the windows and hang wet towels or sheets. In such conditions, it will be much easier to transfer the disease, in particular a paroxysmal cough.
Experts do not advise parents to leave a child's cough without proper attention. After all, it is this symptom that very often indicates the development of serious and serious infectious diseases. At the first signs of a child’s malaise, you must immediately show the pediatrician or some other specialist with a narrow focus in order to avoid the spread of infection and the development of various complications.