Question

A 19 year old female presents with a violent, painful cough that causes her to have persistent headaches. She has petechiae on her upper body and blood shot eyes. The patient tells you these coughs have going on for a little more than a week, but have become less productive and more violent since it has progressed from a wet cough to a dry cough. You prescribe her erythromycin and tell her it should clear up in about 10 days. What is she suffering from?

Answer 1

Ans. She is suffering from Paroxysmal cough

A paroxysmal cough is a cough with intermittent attacks of violent, uncontrollable coughing. A paroxysmal cough feels exhausting and painful. People struggle to get a breath and may vomit.

Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a bacterial infection that causes violent coughing fits.

During whooping cough attacks, the lungs release all the air they have, causing people to inhale violently with a “whoop” sound.

People of all ages require antibiotic treatment for whooping cough.

Whooping cough is very contagious, so family members and caregivers of someone with whooping cough should also be treated. The earlier whooping cough is treated, the better the outcome.