Rapid Review: Pertussis (Whooping Cough)

Reviewed February 2024

Pertussis (Whooping Cough)

• History of nasal congestion, cough, and low-grade fever
• Rapid-fire repetitive coughing followed by an inspiratory whoop and post-tussive emesis
• Most commonly caused by Bordetella pertussis
• Treatment is with azithromycin, TMP-SMX
• Vaccination: DTaP in infants and young children, Tdap in older children and adults, Td booster

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Sample Question:

A 2-year-old boy presents to the emergency department with a cough. For the past week, he has had a low-grade fever, cough, and a runny nose with itchy, red eyes. These symptoms have progressed to recurrent episodes of more severe coughing. The child is observed to have episodes of severe coughing followed by a sudden, deep inspiratory breath. The child has no significant medical history, is homeschooled, and has not received vaccinations. Chest X-ray imaging is unremarkable. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?