Pertussis

In this episode of PEM Currents: The Pediatric Emergency Medicine Podcast, we explore pertussis, also known as whooping cough – a disease that remains a public health challenge despite widespread vaccination efforts. We will review the clinical presentation, diagnostic strategies, management protocols, infection control practices, and vaccination updates. This episode also covers what healthcare providers need to know about post-exposure prophylaxis, respiratory precautions, and managing occupational exposures.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand the clinical progression of pertussis through its three distinct stages and identify key symptoms, including age-specific presentations in infants and older children.
2. Implement effective management strategies for pertussis, including supportive care, appropriate antibiotic regimens, and post-exposure prophylaxis for contacts and healthcare providers.
3. Promote pertussis prevention by understanding vaccination schedules (DTaP vs. Tdap), addressing vaccine hesitancy, and adhering to infection control protocols in clinical settings.

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How about a fun AI song about whooping cough?

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References

StatPearls Lauria AM, Zabbo CP. Pertussis. [Updated 2022 Oct 7]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519008/

AAP Pediatrics in Review Heather L. Daniels, Camille Sabella; Bordetella pertussis (Pertussis). Pediatr Rev May 2018; 39 (5): 247–257. https://doi.org/10.1542/pir.2017-0229

UpToDate

Yeh S et al. Pertussis infection in infants and children: Clinical features and diagnosis. UpToDate. Available at: https://www.uptodate.com. Accessed December 3, 2024.

MMWR

Seither R, Yusuf OB, Dramann D, et al. Coverage with Selected Vaccines and Exemption Rates Among Children in Kindergarten — United States, 2023–24 School Year. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2024;73:925–932. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7341a3

Transcript

Note: This transcript was partially completed with the use of the Descript AI

Welcome to PEM Currents, the pediatric emergency medicine podcast. As always, I’m your host, Brad Sobolewski, and today we’re talking about pertussis, a disease that is challenging clinicians and public health officials alike. Despite being vaccine preventable, Pertussis is on the rise, yet again, fueled by declining vaccination rates, waning immunity, and the fact that people can’t stop coughing on each other.

In this episode, we’ll go over clinical presentation, diagnosis management, infection control, and post exposure protocols. So pertussis, or whooping cough, is caused by Bordetella pertussis, a gram negative coccobacillus. It definitely spreads via respiratory droplets, and has no environmental or animal reservoirs, making humans the sole carriers.

The incubation period averages about 7 to 10 days, and the disease progresses through some distinct clinical stages, which I will go over in a moment. Pertussis has been recognized since the 16th century. I was not practicing medicine back then. Um, with the first documented epidemic occurring in Paris in 1578.

Bordetella pertussis was isolated in 1906 by Belgian researchers, Jules Bordet and Octave Gengou, I hopefully I pronounced them right, but they’re long gone, so they won’t be mad at me,, leading to the development of a whole cell pertussis vaccine in the 1940s. Introduction of the DTP, the diphtheria tetanus pertussis vaccine, dramatically reduced disease incidence overall.

In the 1990s, we got the acellular pertussis vaccine, the DTaP, which replaced the whole cell formulation due to concerns about some side effects. So pertussis remains endemic in many regions of the world despite vaccination efforts. During the 23 24 school year, DTaP coverage among kindergartners in the United States dropped to 92.

3%, which is below the 95 percent threshold needed for herd immunity. That is is why we’re seeing an outbreak now. This is a pretty troubling trend that began during the COVID 19