Systemic Infections Flashcards
What is pertussis?
And a cute infectious disease of the respiratory tract typified by severe bronchitis caused by Bordetella pertussis
How long does the barking cough inpertussis last
2 to 4 weeks
Epidemiology of pertussis?
- Spread by droplets
- Infection increases with longer exposure
- Incidents mobility and mortality mortality greatest in infancy
- 50% of cases are younger than one w/ peak incidence 1 to 2 months
- notifiable condition
The pathogenesis of pertussis
It causes necrosis of ciliated epithelium in the respiratory tract
Sticky mucus and sloughed cells accumulate in bronchi leading to obstruction
Results in atelectasis and emphysema
Neurological plus haematological effects result from haemagglutinanin in the organism
Clinical features of pertussis
Catarrhal stage: respire tree tract infection with short try nocturnal cough 1 to 2 weeks
Paroxysmal stage: - 2 to 4 weeks
-whooping cough.
-heamoptysis?
This more prominent at night precipitated by eating drinking or cry
in young infant apnoea and cyanosis maybe more prominent than cough
Convalescent stage: 2 to 4 weeks
-Marked decrease the severity of cough
– Symptoms may recur for up to 1 year with each upper respiratory infection
Diagnosis of pertussis
Clinical features
Leukocytosis greater than 10 thousand with lymphocytosis
PCR on nasal swabs preferred
Differential diagnosis of pertussis
Infants: Viral bronchiolitis, Chlamydial pneumonitis, Cystic fibrosis
Older children: foreign body, interstitial pneumonia, enlarged tracheobronchial nodes.
Complications of pertussis r
Pneumonia: cc-secondary infection or aspiration rarely leads congestive CCF
Atelectasis: w/w-out bronchiectasis of segments
Encephalopathy: cx anoxia, intracranial heamorhage
Failure to thrive + malnourished
Subconjunctival heamorhage + epistaxis
Myocarditis die to endotoxins
