PERTUSSIS

Course overview

PERTUSSIS, LITERALLY MEANING “A VIOLENT COUGH,” AND ALSO KNOWN AS WHOOPING COUGH, OR “THE COUGH OF 100 DAYS,” WAS FIRST DESCRIBED IN THE PARIS EPIDEMIC OF 1578. BORDETELLA PERTUSSIS, THE CAUSATIVE ORGANISM, WAS DISCOVERED IN 1906, AND A VACCINE WAS DEVELOPED IN THE 1940S. BEFORE THE PERTUSSIS VACCINE WAS DEVELOPED, PERTUSSIS WAS A MAJOR CAUSE OF INFANT MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE PRESENTATION AND MANAGEMENT OF PERTUSSIS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN THE TREATMENT OF AFFECTED PATIENTS AND FAMILIES.