Pertussis: Etiology and Pathology (Pediatric Nursing)

00:01 Now, let's talk about pertussis.

00:03 Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious respiratory disease.

00:09 It is caused by the bacterium <i>Bordetella pertussis</i>.

00:14 Pertussis can cause problems for a really long time.

00:18 The symptoms can last for at least 10 weeks.

00:22 It can cause uncontrollable, violent coughing, and since it's a bacterial disease, we can treat it with antibiotics.

00:30 Pertussis is vaccine-preventable.

00:33 In infants and young children, the DTaP vaccine is given at the 2-month, 4-month, 6-month, 15-18 month, and the 4-5 year well child checks.

00:47 Older children and adults will be boosted with a TDaP vaccine that also contains pertussis, or whooping cough, coverage.

00:55 <i>Bordetella pertussis</i> is a fastidious, gram-negative bacterium requiring a special media for isolation.

01:04 Now, pertussis.

01:05 The etiology.

01:06 It's a very contagious disease, spread from person to person by coughing or sneezing, or even just sharing a breathing space.

01:14 The droplets that contain the <i>Bordetella pertussis</i> bacteria can be spread up to 6 feet,and can live on surfaces, like counter tops and doorknobs for days.

01:26 Many babies who get pertussis are infected by older siblings, parents, or caregivers, who may not even know that they have this disease yet.

01:35 Infected people are most contagious from the onset, through about the first 3 weeks after the start of the paroxysmal coughing.

01:44 Antibiotics may shorten the amount of time that someone is contagious, but it will not take away their cough.

01:51 So pertussis is a primarily toxin-mediated disease.

01:56 This means the gram-negative pertussis bacteria droplets will enter your patient and attach to the cilia of the respiratory epithelial cells.

02:05 The bacteria are going to produce multiple antigenic and biologically active toxins and products that cause damage to the cilia, and they cause these airways to swell.

02:15 Now, this makes it hard for the patients to clear their pulmonary secretions because there's inflammation and decreased ciliary action, and the infection can further invade down into the surrounding tissues.