What is the difference between parapertussis and whooping cough? Parapertussis: symptoms in children, treatment and prevention

Date: 26.06.2020

An acute infectious disease similar to whooping cough is called parapertussis. The course of parapertussis passes without complications, and sometimes without a rise in temperature. The bacillus Bordetella parapertussis (Bordetella parapertussis) is the main causative agent of parapertussis. To determine parapertussis, laboratory doctors use agglutinating sera.

A mild, unobtrusive cough, accompanied by a runny nose, may indicate the onset of parapertussis in the body of children. After a while, the cough intensifies, becomes, can provoke gag reflexes, with such symptoms, treatment is necessary urgently.

However, for many children, the symptoms of severe cough with parapertussis are bypassed. The child's condition does not suffer much. Parapertussis in children is also compared to tracheitis. The latter can also be treated at home. also rarely leads to complications. Parapertussis lasts on average about a month (3 weeks), and sometimes it can end in two weeks.

If a child suffers from one parapertussis, then there are no reasons for complicating the course of the disease. But, when acute respiratory infections are added to an infectious disease, the consequences will be different. Diseases such as acute bronchitis, otitis media, or pneumonia can be provoked. Children who cough should be protected from those with acute respiratory infections.

The incubation period for parapertussis lasts about two weeks. The main source of infection for children is a person who is sick with this infection.

Because of the partial cross-immunity of whooping cough with parapertussis, a number of serological and bacteriological tests are necessary to diagnose the disease.

Treatment

It is recommended to treat parapertussis in an isolated hospital setting. The room where patients are located should be well ventilated and humid. Children should be fed low-fat food, in small portions 5 - 6 times a day. The children's diet should not include acidic foods: juice, citrus fruits, and foods that irritate the child's throat should not be present: crackers, biscuits (especially shortbread).

The menu should contain food containing protein. Fruits and vegetables must be included in the diet of children with whooping cough. Treatment of children is carried out primarily to eliminate the symptoms of cough. In the treatment of parapertussis, the following methods are used:

acupuncture;
barotherapy;
drug treatment (psychotropic and sedative drugs);
physiotherapy.

Hospitalization of the patient is carried out in the case of:

the child is not three years old;
children from closed groups (kindergartens);
severe course of the disease "
complication.

Folk remedies

Treatment of parapertussis can be carried out using traditional medicine methods. Just like whooping cough, para whooping cough is treated with decoctions, infusions, rubbing.

Take a black radish - sowing, cut out all the pulp from the inside, pour honey into the resulting container and leave to infuse in a warm place. it is not possible to completely cure this remedy, but the symptoms of cough reflexes in children can be removed;
when the child is pestered by whooping cough or para-whooping cough, take garlic (several cloves), rub it on a fine grater, pour a glass of milk and boil for no more than 10 minutes. Strain, add honey and water the children three times a day, one spoon at a time, preferably before meals;
whooping cough is treated with an emulsion made from apricot kernels. Take 40 seeds, mince, fill with honey, mix everything thoroughly. Drink a large spoon (tablespoon) several times (4 times) a day for children;
in order to calm the cough that caused whooping cough, it is necessary to take an infusion of thyme. This infusion helps not only to relieve children of para whooping cough, but also from other diseases: bronchial asthma, pneumonia. To prepare the infusion, take 3 tablespoons of the herb, pour boiling water over and put in a dark place for two hours. Children should be given half a tablespoon 4 times a day before meals;
whooping cough can be defeated by using a mixture of herbs: thyme, pine buds, dill and anise fruits, licorice root. Everything must be crushed, measure out 4 small spoons (teaspoons), pour boiled, but not hot water, leave for 2.5 hours. Put on fire and boil for four minutes, cool, strain through a strainer. Children drink 1.4 cups three times a day half an hour before meals;
herbal infusion of pine buds, coltsfoot leaves, plantain leaves. Take each in a small spoon, pour boiled but cooled water (250 ml), put in a dark place for two hours. Remove, boil over low heat for five minutes. Insist half an hour. The resulting dose should be given to the child in three divided doses during the day;
Pour boiling water over the inflorescences of black elderberry (3 tablespoons), leave for an hour. Give the child a very warm glass, with the addition of honey. This infusion cures not only whooping cough, but also colds and respiratory diseases.
Take the roots and grass of the erythematosus (2 tablespoons), pour boiling water and leave in a warm place to infuse for 2 hours. When whooping cough is accompanied by a very irritating cough, apply this infusion 5 times a day before meals, 2 large spoons.

Prevention

The main planned preventive action is whooping cough vaccination, which also protects against parapertussis. It is given to children at the age of 3 months. At the age of one and a half to two years, a revaccination is performed. There are no special complications after vaccination, an increase in body temperature may occur. It is possible to bring down the temperature from vaccination with antipyretic drugs on the recommendation of a doctor.

Recommended reading:

A child's cough should never be ignored by parents. Parapertussis must be treated on time. When the child's relatives notice the first symptoms of cough reflexes, the baby must be shown to the attending physician. During illness, it is necessary to avoid situations of overexcitation of children. You should play with small children in quiet - calm games. Despite the fact that children under 5 years of age are more susceptible to parapertussis and pertussis diseases, older ones also need to be treated with attention and monitor the course of the cough. If the first symptoms of parapertussis become noticeable, you should contact your local pediatrician and start treatment.

Parapertussis is an infectious disease of bacterial origin. The disease is accompanied by a dry paroxysmal cough and often occurs in babies from 3 to 6 years old. Therefore, parents need to know about the disease such as parapertussis, symptoms in children, treatment and what preventive measures exist to prevent infection.

Causes of the disease

Parapertussis is transmitted by airborne droplets through contact with a sick child. Usually children attending preschool institutions get sick. The cause of the disease - the pathogen Bordetella parapertussis is similar to, but differ in biochemical and cultural characteristics. Once in the body, the bacterium begins to release toxic substances, thereby irritating the mucous membrane of the respiratory system. The child has a persistent cough.

There are three forms of the disease:

erased (atypical), paroxysmal cough is absent;
whooping cough form;
bacterial, the disease proceeds without symptoms, but a person can infect other people.

Important! Parapertussis is transmitted by talking, through saliva.

Symptoms

The primary signs of parapertussis resemble those of a common cold. In addition, the following symptoms may occur:

nasal congestion;
sore throat.

With para whooping cough, the temperature does not rise, the child is still active, and the appetite is not disturbed. Coughing fits can cause specific odors, chemicals.

After several days, the cough intensifies up to 5-7 times a day, after which a noisy breath with a whistling sound, holding the breath may appear. In some cases, the disease is atypical. There is a wet cough with phlegm, in which case vomiting appears.

The latent period of parapertussis is 7-15 days. Usually, the disease proceeds without complications and temperature. The disease is especially dangerous for infants.

Note! With coughing fits and newborns, breathing may be stopped due to lack of oxygen. Therefore, the treatment of parapertussis in infants is necessary under the supervision of doctors.

Differences between parapertussis and whooping cough

Parents often have a question, what is the difference between whooping cough and parapertussis? Both diseases are difficult to diagnose.

The main symptom of whooping cough is a paroxysmal cough, which is accompanied by seizures and spasms, usually ending with a whistling sound. With parapertussis, the cough has only symptoms similar to whooping cough, but it is milder. There are practically no complications after the disease.

It should be noted that for the purpose of prevention, children are given. This leads to the following question: can I put it after para whooping cough? This vaccine will not prevent parapertussis infection. Children who have been vaccinated with DPT and who have had whooping cough can get this disease.

Important! After suffering a disease, children develop strong immunity.

Diagnostics

With symptoms of a paroxysmal cough in a child, you should contact a pediatrician or infectious disease specialist to make an appropriate diagnosis. Parents should report contact with a sick parapertussis carrier.

Diagnostics includes:

Chest X-ray.
Laboratory blood test for whooping cough and parapertussis.
Bacteriological method: sowing from the back of the pharynx.

Differential signs of whooping cough and parapertussis make it difficult to make an accurate diagnosis. The exact way to detect diseases is bacteriological and serological research. The second can be carried out with two antigens: pertussis and parapertussis.

Deciphering the analyzes is simple: Immunoglobulin LgM shows the presence of antibodies to parapertussis, which are formed after 4-5 weeks from the onset of infection. Therefore, it is not difficult for a doctor to form a picture of the stage and form of the disease.

Treatment of the disease

Treatment of parapertussis in children is symptomatic. It is carried out at home, following the doctor's recommendations. Children under three years of age are subject to hospitalization, as they do not tolerate the disease well and complications may occur.

Medication

How is parapertussis treated in children? There is no single treatment regimen. Therapy consists in stopping a paroxysmal cough. For this, medications are prescribed to reduce it:

Bronchodilator;
Tussin Plus.

To alleviate the condition of the child, parents should often ventilate the apartment and humidify the dry air. Doctors advise hanging wet towels in the room where the sick child is. It is useful to be outdoors often.

Important! Eliminate dry, spicy, and fatty foods from your child's diet. The diet should contain fresh vegetables and fruits. You cannot drink carbonated drinks.

Create a calm environment for your child to help counteract coughing fits. He should not worry, cry, it is not recommended to laugh and participate in active games, so as not to provoke coughing attacks.

Folk remedies

There are safe methods for treating parapertussis in children - this is treatment with folk remedies. They use medicinal herbs, make tinctures and decoctions from them.

Rosehip with para whooping cough

Elderberry

In case of illness, children are given fresh elderberries, grated with sugar or jam from these fruits. You can brew tea from dried elder flowers.

Take two teaspoons per glass of boiling water.
Drink the drink twice a day one hour before meals.

Fennel seeds

This remedy helps to get rid of a paroxysmal cough. To prepare the tincture, you need 1 teaspoon of seeds, pour 200 grams of boiling water. Divided into two doses and given to the child.

Lungwort from parapertussis

An effective and well-known remedy for the disease. One and a half tablespoons of dry herbs are poured with a glass of hot water. Let it brew for 5 minutes. Give the child half a glass three times a day.

Proven recipes help to reduce bronchospasm and prevent disease. Before treating an ailment in these ways, you need to make sure that the child is not allergic.

... The vegetable is grated and mixed with honey. Give one teaspoon several times a day.
Tea with milk. Heat milk over a fire, but do not bring it to a boil. Weakly brewed black tea is poured into it.
Thistle. 1 tbsp. a spoonful of dry grass is poured into 250 grams of boiling water. Drink a teaspoon several times a day.

Important! For the treatment of parapertussis in a child, complex therapy is needed, therefore, all methods are used.

Prevention

To protect the child from the disease, it is necessary to take preventive measures. They are as follows:

Isolation of patients for 25 days.
In children's institutions, in case of an outbreak of parapertussis, quarantine is carried out.
Bacteriological examination is carried out twice to exclude infection of other children in the institution.
Isolation of bacteria carriers, test results should be twice negative.

Parapertussis ICD 10 is included in the list of statistically qualified diseases, where a general analysis of the number of cases is studied and in which regions of the country. Since the course of the disease is mild, immunization against parapertussis has not been developed.

Pertussis is a common infection that affects not only children but also adults. However, there is another pathology with a similar clinical picture - parapertussis. How these diseases differ and how to determine the true cause of the symptoms, only a doctor will answer.

Pertussis and parapertussis are caused by various bacteria. Bordetellae (pertussis and parapertussis, respectively) become the cause of the infectious process. These are gram-negative immobile sticks with poor stability in the external environment. They are similar in external structure and antigenic properties. However, pertussis bacteria, in contrast to parapertussis, secretes exotoxin, which causes a more severe course of the infection.

A sick person or a carrier of pathogenic microbes (less often) becomes the source of infection. The pathogen enters the body by airborne droplets, and close and sufficiently long contact is necessary. It should be remembered that whooping cough is twice as contagious as parapertussis, which means that the former is more epidemiologically dangerous.

The causative agents of whooping cough and parapertussis enter the respiratory tract and reach the bronchioles and alveoli. There they multiply, showing their pathogenicity. With whooping cough, exotoxin becomes the main factor, affecting many systems of the body: respiratory, vascular, nervous, and immune. It initiates a spasm of the respiratory tract and an increase in vascular tone, provokes metabolic disorders and a decrease in T-cell immunity.

The mechanism of development of parapertussis infection is similar to whooping cough, with the exception of the effect of exotoxin. Bacteria and their waste products irritate the receptors in the respiratory tract. As a result, the development of cough is observed. Constant pathogenic impulses form a focus of excitation in the respiratory center, which takes on a dominant character.

The cause of the infectious process is bacteria, the main target of which is the respiratory tract. But whooping cough has the property of producing exotoxin - the main factor in its pathogenicity.

Classification

For the diagnosis, the classification adopted in clinical practice plays an important role. The course of whooping cough and parapertussis has certain similarities. It can be:

Typical and atypical (erased, asymptomatic, in the form of carriage).
Mild to moderate severity.
Smooth and non-smooth (with the addition of secondary flora, exacerbation of chronic pathology).

However, there are also significant differences. Pertussis, in contrast to parapertussis, can be severe, with complications or abortively (with atypical development).

Symptoms

Both infections have similar clinical signs. For typical forms of character, it is cyclical. From the moment of infection until the first signs appear, it takes from 3 days to 2 weeks (incubation period). Then a dry cough gradually develops, which intensifies over time. At the same time, the general condition of the child is satisfactory, the temperature remains normal.

After 1-2 weeks, the cough becomes paroxysmal (spasmodic). Several respiratory tremors follow each other, after which there is a discharge of viscous sputum or vomiting. At this time, the child's face turns red and blue, swells, veins swell on the neck and head, lacrimation increases, the tongue protrudes from the mouth. Parapertussis in children often occurs in a mild form, when the number of attacks per day is no more than 10, they are short-lived. The very same period of spasmodic cough lasts up to 3 weeks, while with whooping cough, its duration is twice as long.

Severe attacks of coughing follow each other with a frequency of up to 30 per day, they always end in vomiting. The general condition suffers: there are symptoms of respiratory failure (acrocyanosis, pallor), children are lethargic and capricious, sleep and eat poorly. From coughing attacks there can be bleeding in the eyes and skin hemorrhages. On the tongue, friction against the teeth reveals a tear of the frenum (or erosion).

The recovery period proceeds with a decrease in coughing, the attacks of which are observed less and less. General health improves, sleep and appetite are normalized. With whooping cough, a sharp return of cough is possible against the background of concomitant pathology, which is due to persistent increased excitability. But in the case of parapertussis, the recovery period is favorable.

The clinical picture of both diseases has both similar features and differences. However, it is sometimes difficult to make an accurate diagnosis based on symptoms alone.

Complications

In para-whooping cough and whooping cough, the differences also relate to specific complications. In the latter case, they can be the following states:

Emphysema.
Atelectasis.
Pneumonia.
Apnea.
Hemorrhage.
Hernia.
A ruptured eardrum.

These phenomena are due to the severe course of the disease and exposure to exotoxin, therefore, para-pertussis is not accompanied by them.

Additional diagnostics

The most important place in the diagnosis of whooping cough and parapertussis is occupied by additional research methods. Laboratory tests are of particular importance:

General blood analysis.
Analysis of pharyngeal mucus (culture on a nutrient medium, PCR).
Serological methods (ELISA, RA, RPGA).

Parapertussis differs from whooping cough in that it does not give hematological changes (an increase in leukocytes and lymphocytes). When analyzing mucus from the throat (by the "cough plates" method), a specific pathogen is identified, and serological tests will make it possible to determine antibodies to it.

Treatment

Patients with whooping cough are often hospitalized (for severe forms, with complications and concomitant diseases, young children, for epidemiological indications), while parapertussis is treated on an outpatient basis. Specific therapy consists of taking antibiotics:

Azithromycin.
Amoxicillin.
Erythromycin.
Roxithromycin.

The increased excitability of the nervous system is relieved by sedatives, tranquilizers and antipsychotics. A severe course requires the appointment of glucocorticoids and drugs that improve cerebral blood flow. However, with parapertussis, all these drugs are not needed - only symptomatic correction with antitussive and expectorant medications is enough.

Treatment for patients with parapertussis is mainly aimed at eliminating and relieving symptoms.

Prevention

If whooping cough is detected, all patients are isolated for 25 days, and those who were in contact with them do not attend educational institutions (kindergartens) for 2 weeks. However, in a para-pertussis situation, this only applies to children under 1 year of age. In addition, contact persons do not need to take an antibiotic for prophylactic purposes, as they do with a more dangerous infection.

Parapertussis is very similar to whooping cough, which explains the name of the disease. However, it is characterized by less infectiousness, easier course, no complications and changes in blood tests. Accordingly, therapeutic and prophylactic measures have certain differences.

Parapertussis (parapertussis infection): causative agent, signs, tests, therapy

Parapertussis is a disease of infectious etiology that affects the central nervous system and respiratory tract and develops mainly in children. This acute bacterial pathology is manifested by attacks of persistent, dry cough and other symptoms similar to whooping cough, but in a less pronounced form.

The causative agent of parapertussis is the parapertussis bacillus, poorly resistant to environmental factors, - Bordetella parapertussis. The disease proceeds cyclically and symptomatically resembles tracheobronchitis.

The main clinical sign of pathology is a paroxysmal convulsive cough, which is accompanied by wheezing and noisy inhalation, and ends with the discharge of vitreous sputum or vomiting. The asymptomatic period usually lasts 4-5 days.

In the clinical picture of the disease, 3 stages are distinguished:

Catarrhal period, flowing like nasopharyngitis,
A period of spasmodic cough, lasting an average of two weeks,
Convalescence period.

Adults are not very susceptible to this infection. In them, parapertussis is relatively easy, rarely complicated, and passes without a trace without specific antibiotic therapy. Parapertussis in adults is sporadic and rarely detected, proceeding as an acute respiratory viral infection.

In children, the disease is characterized by a more severe course and a pronounced clinic.... Symptoms of parapertussis in children mimic the clinical signs of mild whooping cough. At the same time, there are no cough reprises, and the cough does not decrease when taking antitussives. Parapertussis leaves no immunity behind, but the risk of re-infection is low.

Until recently, parapertussis and pertussis were considered one infectious pathology with a high mortality and morbidity rate among all ailments of the respiratory system. In 1937, scientists isolated the causative agent of parapertussis and proved that these are two different infectious diseases. Para-whooping cough is characterized by autumn-winter seasonality.

Children suffer from parapertussis much more often than adults. The risk group includes babies aged 2-6 years. Parapertussis is especially dangerous for children under 2 years of age. People who have had pertussis or have been vaccinated against whooping cough can get parapertussis infection.

Parapertussis infection occurs in a typical, atypical, whooping cough-like or asymptomatic form. Bacteria carriers are distinguished into a separate group. According to the severity and severity of clinical manifestations, mild and moderate forms of parapertussis are distinguished. The disease is complicated and uncomplicated.

Etiology and pathogenesis

The causative agent of parapertussis infection is the bacterium Bordetella parapertussis. These are small, gram-negative short coccoid sticks with rounded ends, arranged in pairs, chains or singly in strokes.

Microbes have a delicate capsule, flagella and are strict aerobes. Bordetellae are immobile and grow at a temperature of + 35-37 ° C on synthetic and semi-synthetic media: plain agar, casein-coal agar, blood agar. Colonies of microbes are round, small, moist, with a pearlescent sheen, leaving a creamy trail on the medium.

The source of infection is a sick person, a convalescent, or a carrier. Microbes are spread by an aspiration mechanism, which is carried out by airborne droplets. This period lasts an average of three weeks.

The entrance gate of the infection is the nasopharyngeal mucosa. Microbes invade epithelial cells, multiply in the epithelial tissue of the larynx, trachea, bronchi and release infectious toxins into the blood. Toxins affect the respiratory system, central nervous system, blood vessels.

Inflammation of the respiratory tract develops and rapidly progresses, which is clinically manifested by a spasmodic cough. In the medulla oblongata, under the influence of toxins, a cough reflex is formed.

Coughing attacks intensify and become more frequent, the respiratory rhythm is disturbed, hemodynamic disorders occur, vascular permeability increases, hemorrhagic symptoms appear, bronchospasm, vascular hypertonicity, convulsive syndrome occur.

In patients, the nonspecific defense of the body is impaired, and immunity is reduced. This can result in the attachment of a secondary bacterial infection and the formation of a bacterial carrier. Additional infection can lead to the development of acute bronchitis, otitis media, or pneumonia.

Symptoms

In the clinical course of parapertussis, there are 4 main periods: incubation, catarrhal, spasmodic, resolution.

The boundaries between these periods are smoothed or completely absent. Usually the disease proceeds as trachitis, bronchitis, pleurisy or pneumonia.

The incubation period lasts 5-15 days, begins from the moment of human infection and is characterized by the absence of pathological symptoms.
The catarrhal period is manifested by signs of rhinitis, pain, sore throat and sore throat, coughing, or a rare dry cough. Qatar lasts 3-5 days. In severe cases, signs of intoxication and asthenization of the body appear: persistent low-grade fever, weakness, malaise, myalgia, headache.
Then comes the period of spasmodic cough. The nature of the cough depends on the form of pathology. When worn out, it is moist, obsessive, gradually increasing. A characteristic sign of parapertussis infection in children is prolonged exhausting coughing attacks against a background of normal temperature. With whooping cough, the cough occurs in the form of seizures, which end in a reprise - a whistling deep breath, and in severe cases, vomiting. Coughing fits are repeated 5-7 times a day. During the intensification of the cough symptom, sick children become restless and capricious.
The resolution period is characterized by little or no cough. It lasts 2-3 days.

Parapertussis is very difficult to distinguish from common tracheitis or bronchitis of bacterial or viral origin. The cough is leveled on its own and does not require drug therapy.

With parapertussis infection, complications are very rare. Parapertussis form in case of severe course is complicated by pneumothorax, emphysema, rectal prolapse, hemorrhage in the retina or conjunctiva of the eye, nosebleeds. Parapertussis in 100% of cases ends with recovery.

Diagnostics

The diagnosis and treatment of parapertussis infection is carried out by a pediatrician or infectious disease specialist. Diagnostic measures include listening to the patient's complaints, collecting anamnesis of life and illness, and physical examination.

Epidemiological history allows you to find out the presence of contact with a sick person. Then they move on to laboratory diagnostics and instrumental methods.

Bacteriological examination of the patient - microbiological analysis for parapertussis. From the back of the pharynx, mucus is taken with a sterile cotton swab on an empty stomach or 2 hours after a meal and immediately inoculated on nutrient media. They are incubated, after which the growth pattern is studied on Petri dishes, microscopy is carried out and additional tests are performed.
Serology - determination of antibodies to parapertussis in the blood. To confirm the diagnosis, an enzyme immunoassay is performed, RA, RPHA, RSK are put.
Immunological examination - immunofluorescence analysis and latex microagglutination reaction.
The molecular method is a polycep reaction.
In the hemogram - moderate leukocytosis and lymphocytosis.

Treatment

Treatment of parapertussis is symptomatic. It is performed on an outpatient basis. Children with severe and moderate forms of the disease, with an aggravated course, with concomitant severe diseases of organs and systems are subject to hospitalization. Patients are recommended:

Long walks in the fresh air
A diet that excludes foods that irritate the throat mucosa: sour, salty, smoked, spicy foods, crackers,
Avoid stress
Optimize your daily routine,
Humidify the air in the room, ventilate it often,
Do not overexert yourself.

Drug therapy consists of using mucolytics - Ambroxol, Bronchicum, expectorants - Bromhexin, Tussin, bronchodilators and antispasmodics - Euphyllin, Berodual, antihistamines - Diphenhydramine, Pipolfen, vitamins, and in the presence of complications - antibiotics. Sedatives and tranquilizers can help relieve mental stress, reducing the intensity and duration of the cough. Children are prescribed humid air inhalation or oxygen therapy, physiotherapy, acupuncture.

For para-whooping cough to pass faster, it is necessary to exclude external stimuli that provoke new attacks of coughing: dry air in the room, excess of emotions, stress. Children are recommended to play calm games, excluding excessive physical activity and excitement.

Traditional medicines can complement the main treatment. The most effective are: decoctions, grits, radish juice with honey, "garlic milk", herbal infusions, rosehip tea, fresh elderberries, tincture of fennel or lungwort.

Prevention

There is no specific prophylaxis for parapertussis. Patients with parapertussis infection are isolated for 25 days, quarantined for 14 days. All contact persons and carriers of the whooping cough pathogen undergo a double bacteriological examination.

To improve the general condition of the body, general preventive measures are carried out: proper nutrition, hardening, an active lifestyle, walking, good sleep, moderate physical labor.

Source: http://uhonos.ru/infekcii/parakoklyush/

Parapertussis: symptoms, treatment, differences from common whooping cough

Parapertussis is an acute infectious disease that affects both young children and adults. Most often, children from 3 to 6 years old are sick. The symptoms of parapertussis resemble whooping cough in a very mild form.

An interesting feature of this disease is that a child who has received a routine vaccination against whooping cough, as well as one who has already had this disease, can get sick with it. That is, immunity to this infectious pathology is not developed.

The incidence of parapertussis is not at all associated with the whooping cough epidemic, this pathology occurs periodically in children's groups. In children under one year old, this pathology is almost never found.

What provokes the disease

The pathogenic bacillus Bordetella parapertussis provokes the development of the disease. The causative agents of whooping cough and parapertussis have the same properties; they differ only in several cultural and biochemical characteristics.

The source of infection is a person who has been diagnosed with typical or atypical whooping cough. Patients with whooping cough in the first few days are especially dangerous to others. The latency period can range from one week to three. At this time, the signs of the disease have not yet appeared, but the person is already contagious to others.

To diagnose this infectious disease, specific agglutinating sera are used.

You can become infected with parapertussis from outwardly healthy people who are bacteria carriers.

What happens in the body when infected

The pathogenic bacillus enters the body through the respiratory tract and is colonized in the cells of the epithelium of the larynx, trachea, and bronchi. The pathogen produces dangerous toxins that contribute to the development of a strong inflammatory process.

Due to the effects of toxins on the body, the catarrhal stage of the disease begins.

While the child has an acute stage of an infectious disease, bacteria are located exclusively on the surface of the epithelial cells of the respiratory organs and do not penetrate into the bloodstream at all.

After the pathogenic microorganisms disintegrate, the released pertussis toxin begins to provoke a violent cough.

Some experts believe that this toxin can cause a severe allergic reaction, due to which cough attacks only worsen.

At the same time, a so-called cough reflex appears in a special part of the brain, due to which coughing attacks become quite frequent and prolonged.

A cough with parapertussis can be triggered by nonspecific stimuli - accidental touch, loud sound, or pain.

Such pathological processes in the body inevitably lead to persistent disruption of respiration and gas exchange. At this time, a violation of hemodynamics occurs and the permeability of all vessels significantly increases. Due to this, hemorrhagic symptoms appear, as well as pronounced signs of hypoxia.

Sometimes it happens that the focus of excitation from one part of the brain passes into another, for example, the vomiting center may be affected. In this case, almost all cough attacks in a child end in vomiting. In addition, there is an increase in pressure, vasospasm, and sometimes convulsions.

The toxins produced by the pathogenic bacillus whooping cough greatly reduce immunity, due to which a bacterial infection often joins. In addition, a sick child can become a carrier of a pathogenic bacillus for a long time and infect people around him.

Morphological changes in parapertussis are not very pronounced, only when complications arise, they can be varied. So, in the lungs, lymphostasis can be observed, pneumonia or emphysema can begin.

Due to severe cough seizures in the brain of a sick child, the vessels can be greatly dilated, which ultimately leads to hemorrhages.

Symptoms

The incubation period for para whooping cough is most often about a week, in rare cases this period can be reduced to 4 days or stretched to 3 weeks. At the beginning of the disease, children develop subtle catarrhal phenomena.

The patient's condition at this moment is practically not disturbed, there is no high temperature. The main symptom of parapertussis is a paroxysmal cough.

It can be of a different nature, it is by cough that two forms of the disease are distinguished - whooping cough and erased.

Pertussis-like form of the disease is characterized by the following specific features:

short prodromal period;
paroxysmal cough, which is accompanied by significant redness of the face;
respiratory failure;
sometimes there is vomiting.

The main difference between coughing with parapertussis and whooping cough is that in the first case, the attacks are less frequent and prolonged.

With the erased form of parapertussis, a tracheal or tracheobronchial cough is observed. In such cases, in order to make an accurate diagnosis, it is necessary to pass a number of tests. In contact with children with parapertussis, adults also often become carriers of the infection.

If you make an X-ray of the lungs to a child with para-whooping cough, then you can see insignificant changes in the tissues - an expansion of the shadow of the roots appears, and the vascular pattern also increases.

In the analysis of the patient's blood, it is sometimes possible to trace leukocytosis and lymphocytosis. The difference between pertussis in children and parapertussis is that the second disease rarely gives complications. In exceptional cases, there may be pneumonia, and then it develops if a bacterial infection is added to the parapertussis. Deaths with parapertussis are not recorded at all.

Diagnosis of parapertussis

In order to correctly diagnose para whooping cough, diagnostics are carried out according to the following algorithm:

Listen to the patient's complaints. The doctor should be alerted by a runny nose, redness of the laryngeal mucosa, paroxysmal cough, which intensifies every day.
It is established whether the person has had contact with a patient with whooping cough or para whooping cough. They also take into account the epidemiological situation in the region of residence.
Laboratory diagnostics are performed. To do this, take swabs from the back of the pharynx and identify the pathogen.
Determine the presence of specific antibodies in the patient's blood.

If necessary, a consultation with an infectious disease specialist can be assigned to the patient.

Treatment

Treatment of parapertussis is symptomatic, it does not require the appointment of antibacterial or antiviral drugs. Treatment is carried out at home, but the following recommendations must be followed:

The patient should spend more time in the fresh air, since there is a lack of oxygen during coughing attacks. You can walk at temperatures up to -5 degrees. At low temperatures, the duration of walks should not exceed half an hour.
All foods that can irritate the throat should be eliminated from the diet. These are dishes seasoned with spices, sour juices, crackers or smoked meats. The patient's menu should contain a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits.
A patient with parapertussis is protected from physical exertion and anxiety.
Several times a day you need to do inhalation through a nebulizer with mucolytics. These drugs help to thin the phlegm and make it easier to discharge;
A complex of vitamins is prescribed to strengthen the immune system.

Antibiotics for pertussis are prescribed only if an infection has joined and complications have arisen in the form of bronchitis or pneumonia.

You cannot take antibiotics without a doctor's prescription. Inappropriate use of these medicines can lead to superinfection, which is difficult to treat.

Possible consequences

With para whooping cough in both children and adults, the prognosis is good. The infectious disease itself does not give complications, but if a respiratory infection joins, then acute otitis media, bronchitis or pneumonia may begin. During illness, the patient should be regularly examined by a doctor, due to this, complications can be identified at an early stage, which will facilitate their treatment.

Preventive actions

To avoid the spread of infection and prevent morbidity in a wide range of the population, such preventive measures are taken:

A patient with parapertussis is isolated for 25 days in a separate room. The person should be provided with separate dishes and a towel. One family member should take care of him, while being careful. The patient should take walks in the fresh air, but the walks should be away from other people.
If a case of a disease is detected in a children's team, quarantine is introduced for a period of two weeks. Moreover, quarantine is considered from the moment of detection of the last case of the disease;
People who carry bacteria are isolated until two negative bacterial culture results are obtained.
In the focus of infection, a bacteriological examination is carried out several times in order to timely identify the sick.

If a case of a disease occurs in a children's team, then all surfaces in the room are washed with disinfectant solutions. During the quarantine, new children are not accepted into the team. Children who attend kindergarten or school are carefully examined by a doctor every morning, with the obligatory temperature measurement.

In what cases is the patient hospitalized

In some cases, children with parapertussis are hospitalized. This is necessary in such cases:

If the child is under 3 years old.
If the child is brought up in a closed children's collective.
With a severe course of the disease.
If there are any complications.

In a hospital setting, the patient can be prescribed barotherapy and physiotherapy.

Parapertussis is not as severe as whooping cough, but this disease cannot be ignored. During coughing attacks, the child is very nervous and frightened, the primary task of adults is to calm the baby down.

Source: https://pulmono.ru/gorlo/koklyush/simptomy-i-lechenie-parakoklyusha

Parapertussis: symptoms in children, treatment and prevention

What is parapertussis? Symptoms in children, the treatment of this ailment and the causes of its occurrence will be presented below. We will also tell you what measures should be taken to avoid the development of this disease.

basic information

Parapertussis in children is a fairly common infection. However, in fairness, it should be noted that such a disease develops much less frequently than whooping cough. Such diseases are completely unrelated to each other. Most often, children 3-6 years old get sick with para whooping cough, and very rarely babies under one year old and adolescents.

What is parapertussis?

Symptoms in children, treatment of this disease should only be determined by an experienced pediatrician.

Parapertussis is a disease of an acute nature and infectious origin. It is characterized by persistent, dry and paroxysmal cough, as well as the phenomenon of tracheobronchitis.

The symptoms of the disease in question are very similar to the clinical picture of a mild form of whooping cough. Usually, after a disease, a persistent and type-specific immunity is formed in a person. Re-infection is not possible or the risk is low.

The causative agent of the disease in question is Bordetella parapertussis. This is the parapertussis bacillus, which has the same pathogenic properties as the whooping cough stick. It should be noted that it differs in some cultural and biochemical characteristics.

How is parapertussis transmitted (symptoms in children, treatment will be discussed below)? The source of infection is a sick child, and sometimes a carrier of bacteria. The infection is transmitted by airborne droplets.

The disease under consideration is characterized by periodic bursts of morbidity, as well as epidemic outbreaks in kindergartens and schools.

Forms of infectious disease

What forms does parapertussis have? Symptoms in children, the treatment of this disease depend on the type of pathology that has developed. Specialists distinguish several forms of parapertussis:

typical;
atypical (asymptomatic, bacterial carrier, erased form).

It should also be noted that this disease can occur:

in a moderate form;
mild form.

Depending on the complications, the disease in question is subdivided:

to uncomplicated (with a smooth flow);
complicated (with the addition of a secondary infection or exacerbation of chronic diseases).

Parapertussis: symptoms in children

Treatment, reviews and advice on the prevention of this disease will be discussed below.

The incubation period of such a disease lasts for 4-14 days. The clinical picture of parapertussis is characterized by the presence of three periods of development of pathological signs. The first symptoms, or the so-called catarrhal period, can be confused with the manifestations of influenza or acute respiratory infections:

sore throat and sore throat;
dry cough;
minor rhinitis.

This period lasts for 3-5 days. Then comes the spasmodic period. It is characterized by the following signs:

with an atypical form, a moist and obsessive cough with sputum discharge appears;
with whooping cough, the patient has a paroxysmal cough, which ends with a wheezing breath or vomiting (attacks occur no more than 7 times a day).

According to doctors, coughing attacks develop due to mechanical stimuli, excessive activity or nervous strain.

Usually the duration of the spasmodic period does not exceed two weeks.

During the reverse development of the disease, the cough weakens, and then disappears altogether (in about 3 days). At the same time, the child's temperature remains normal. As for the catarrhal and spasmodic period, then with them, the baby may have subfebrile condition.

Complications

What complications can parapertussis cause? Symptoms (and treatment) in children of this disease are known to every pediatrician, and the pathology must be identified in time. This is due to the fact that the disease in question can cause serious complications that are associated with the addition of a secondary infection.

Most often, with para whooping cough, respiratory diseases develop, including pleurisy, pneumonia and bronchitis. There are also complications such as pneumothorax, emphysema, and rectal prolapse.

How is it diagnosed?

If your baby has a strong dry cough and there is no elevated body temperature, then you should immediately contact a specialist (ENT, pulmonologist, pediatrician or infectious disease specialist).

In making the correct diagnosis, information about the last contact of a child with a sick person is of great importance. Also, the baby is recommended to be tested for whooping cough and parapertussis.

In children, the following examinations are carried out to confirm the diagnosis:

bacterial culture of a smear taken from the back of the pharynx;
chest x-ray;
a blood test for the presence of antibodies to parapertussis.

Treatment process

How is parapertussis treated in children? The doctor will tell you about this in detail. In most cases, therapy for such a disease is carried out on an outpatient basis. However, in some situations, the child is still hospitalized.

As a rule, this happens if the baby is not yet three years old or the disease is extremely severe. In addition, the child is monitored only in the hospital if he has any serious complications.

According to experienced specialists, there is no specific treatment for such a disease. However, to relieve unpleasant symptoms, doctors recommend the following measures:

vitamin therapy, desensitizing treatment;
providing in the room where the patient is located, the optimal microclimate, that is, moist and cool air;
oxygen barotherapy, regular inhalation of moist air through a nebulizer;
frequent walks in the fresh air (preferably away from highways).

Drug treatment

As mentioned above, there is no specific treatment for childhood parapertussis. However, doctors still prescribe certain medications for babies.

Of the medicines prescribed by specialists, sick children can use:

sedatives;
"Tussin Plus" or "Bronholitin" (especially in the catarrhal period);
antibiotic agents (macrolides) in case of a complicated course of the disease (only for children under one year old).

It should be said that the following procedures are actively used for para whooping cough:

acupuncture;
physiotherapy.

Experts say that during the course of such a disease, it is extremely important to refuse to eat solid foods in the form of cookies, crackers, hard fruits and vegetables. You should also refrain from active actions and games that can contribute to the development of paroxysmal cough.

Preventive measures

Now you know what whooping cough and parapertussis are. The differences in children were presented a little higher.

As in the case of treatment, there is no specific prophylaxis for such a disease. Preventive measures should be aimed at preventing the spread of infection in the children's collective. For this sick baby is isolated for 25 days from the onset of the disease. In this case, contact persons undergo bacteriological examination at least twice.

If an infection occurs in kindergartens or schools, they are quarantined for two weeks.

In order not to infect other children with para whooping cough, it is strictly forbidden to contact them when walking with a sick baby.

According to doctors' reviews, vaccination against whooping cough does not protect a child from parapertussis in any way.

To humidify the air in the room where the patient is, just open the windows and hang up wet towels or sheets. In such conditions, it will be much easier to transfer the disease, in particular a paroxysmal cough.

Experts do not advise parents to leave their children's cough without proper attention. Indeed, it is this symptom that very often indicates the development of serious and severe infectious diseases.

At the first signs of a child's malaise, it is necessary to immediately show the pediatrician or some other specialist of a narrow focus in order to avoid the spread of infection and the development of various complications.

Disease of infectious etiology that affects the central nervous system and the respiratory tract and develops mainly in children. This acute bacterial pathology is manifested by attacks of persistent, dry cough and other symptoms similar to whooping cough, but in a less pronounced form.

The main clinical sign of pathology is a paroxysmal convulsive cough, which is accompanied by wheezing and noisy inhalation, and ends with the discharge of vitreous sputum or vomiting. The asymptomatic period usually lasts 4-5 days.

In the clinical picture of the disease, 3 stages are distinguished:

- Catarrhal period, flowing like nasopharyngitis,
- A period of spasmodic cough, lasting an average of two weeks,
- Convalescence period.

Etiology and pathogenesis

The entrance gate of the infection is the nasopharyngeal mucosa. Microbes invade epithelial cells, multiply in the epithelial tissue of the larynx, trachea, bronchi and release infectious toxins into the blood. Toxins affect the respiratory system, central nervous system, blood vessels. Inflammation of the respiratory tract develops and rapidly progresses, which is clinically manifested by a spasmodic cough. In the medulla oblongata, under the influence of toxins, a cough reflex is formed. Coughing attacks intensify and become more frequent, the respiratory rhythm is disturbed, hemodynamic disorders occur, vascular permeability increases, hemorrhagic symptoms appear, bronchospasm, vascular hypertonicity, convulsive syndrome occur.

Symptoms

In the clinical course of parapertussis, there are 4 main periods: incubation, catarrhal, spasmodic, resolution.

The boundaries between these periods are smoothed or completely absent. Usually the disease proceeds as trachitis, bronchitis, pleurisy or pneumonia.

- Incubation period lasts 5-15 days, begins from the moment of human infection and is characterized by the absence of symptoms of pathology.
- Catarrhal period manifests itself by signs of rhinitis, pain, sore throat and sore throat, coughing, or a rare dry cough. Qatar lasts 3-5 days. In severe cases, signs of intoxication and asthenization of the body appear: persistent low-grade fever, weakness, malaise, myalgia, headache.
- Then comes the period of spasmodic cough. The nature of the cough depends on the form of pathology. When worn out, it is moist, obsessive, gradually increasing. A characteristic sign of parapertussis infection in children is prolonged exhausting coughing attacks against a background of normal temperature. With whooping cough, the cough occurs in the form of seizures, which end in a reprise - a whistling deep breath, and in severe cases, vomiting. Coughing fits are repeated 5-7 times a day. During the intensification of the cough symptom, sick children become restless and capricious.
- Period of resolution characterized by little or no cough. It lasts 2-3 days.

Parapertussis is very difficult to distinguish from common tracheitis or bronchitis of bacterial or viral origin. The cough is leveled on its own and does not require drug therapy.

Diagnostics

Epidemiological history allows you to find out the presence of contact with a sick person. Then they move on to laboratory diagnostics and instrumental methods.

- Bacteriological examination of the patient - microbiological analysis for parapertussis. From the back of the pharynx, mucus is taken with a sterile cotton swab on an empty stomach or 2 hours after a meal and immediately inoculated on nutrient media. They are incubated, after which the growth pattern is studied on Petri dishes, microscopy is carried out and additional tests are performed.
- Serology - determination of antibodies to parapertussis in the blood. To confirm the diagnosis, an enzyme immunoassay is performed, RA, RPHA, RSK are put.
- Immunological examination - immunofluorescence analysis and latex microagglutination reaction.
- The molecular method is a polycep reaction.
- In the hemogram - moderate leukocytosis and lymphocytosis.

Treatment

- Long walks in the fresh air
- A diet that excludes foods that irritate the throat mucosa: sour, salty, smoked, spicy foods, crackers,
- Avoid stress
- Optimize your daily routine,
- Humidify the air in the room, ventilate it often,
- Do not overexert yourself.

Prevention

To improve the general condition of the body, general preventive measures are carried out: proper nutrition, hardening, an active lifestyle, walking, good sleep, moderate physical labor.

Video: parapertussis, how to relieve a child of cough

Symptoms and signs of the disease

Sore throat
Nasal discharge
Headache
Cough
Malaise

With prolonged paroxysmal cough, rarely accompanied by fever, parapertussis can be diagnosed. The symptoms of the disease resemble the course of inflammatory processes in the respiratory system. An accurate diagnosis can only be made by an experienced pediatrician based on tests.

Parapertussis has a three-stage clinical picture:

1. Catarrhal period with little or no signs of the disease.
2. Spasmodic period, the average duration of which is 10-14 days. It is characterized by a strong paroxysmal cough, sometimes up to vomiting.
3. Recovery.

Parapertussis in children is quite difficult, with a strong paroxysmal cough that does not disappear after the use of antitussive drugs.

Experts divide the symptoms of the disease into four clinical groups:

1. The first 5-15 days, there are no signs of infection. This period is called the incubation period.
2. In the catarrhal period, pronounced symptoms already appear: a strong dry cough, general malaise, weakness, headaches.
3. Further, the disease provokes a spasmodic period, which is characterized by obsessive attacks of an already wet cough, which intensifies at night. Vomiting may occur during seizures.
4. At the last stage, the painful symptoms weaken and gradually disappear.

The risks of re-infection are very low. Complications are rare. In 100%, the disease is cured successfully.

Causes of infection and forms of the disease

The causative agent of parapertussis has properties of a pathogenic nature identical to that of the whooping cough stick, but it differs in biochemical characteristics. Infection occurs by airborne droplets. Typically, another child is the carrier of the infection. The epidemic is often observed in preschool and educational institutions, where there is close contact between children of different ages.

There are several forms of the disease. Depending on the type of pathology, parapertussis is divided into atypical (asymptomatic) and typical, characterized by pronounced symptoms. An infectious disease can be mild or moderate, depending on the personality of the immune system. Complications are observed in very rare cases, but this does not at all exclude the possibility of exacerbation of chronic processes against the background of parapertussis or the addition of a secondary infection.

Pertussis and parapertussis - what is the difference?

Do parapertussis and whooping cough have differences that make it easy to make an accurate diagnosis? The symptoms of the disease are completely identical, but, unlike whooping cough, parapertussis does not leave stable immunity after an illness, although the risks of re-infection are negligible.

Disease differences	Whooping cough
Colony growth	After 1-2 days	After 2-3 days
Age contingent	Children from 3 to 6 years old are more susceptible	More often detected in babies from one to three years old
Susceptibility to disease	Very low, within 0.35%	High susceptibility, contagiousness index from 0.7 to 1%
Duration of the cough period	2-3 days	2 to 8 weeks
Complications	In very rare cases	Often provokes complications
Immunity	Does not remain	Lifetime immunity remains
Clinical symptoms	The signs are identical to those of tracheobronchitis with acute respiratory infections	Paroxysmal spasmodic cough

Diagnosis and treatment of an infectious disease

If parapertussis is suspected, the diagnosis will allow the specialist to confirm the diagnosis in order to choose the correct treatment method. Research procedures include:

- a blood test for whooping cough and parapertussis;
- sowing a smear (taken from the back of the pharynx);
- X-ray examination;
- immunological analysis;
- blood for antibodies to parapertussis.

Based on the results of the diagnosis, the doctor establishes an accurate diagnosis and gives prescriptions. The treatment course is aimed at eliminating the symptomatic signs of the disease.

Effective drugs for the treatment of parapertussis:

- mucolytic and expectorant drugs;
- antispasmodics;
- bronchodilators;
- antihistamines;
- in case of complications, antibiotics are added to the appointment.

- exclude contact with irritants;
- daily walks in the fresh air;
- in the room where the sick child is, regularly carry out wet cleaning, also humidifying the air using special devices will not interfere;
- adherence to the daily routine;
- dietary food, providing for the exclusion of spicy, sour, salty and smoked foods from the diet;
- not to allow physical and psycho-emotional overstrain and overwork.

In the treatment of parapertussis, folk remedies can be used, but only with the permission of the attending doctor. Herbal decoctions, radish juice with honey, tincture of fennel fruits, rosehip tea, etc. are very effective in combating a painful cough.

Para-whooping cough quarantine lasts at least 14 days. The patient must be isolated from other children for 25 days. There is no specific prophylaxis for such a disease, the main measure is to prevent the spread of infection in a group of children.

Causes of parapertussis in children

The parapertussis pathogen Bordetella parapertussis is a member of the Betaproteobacteria class. This gram-negative microbe is a relatively large ovoid bacillus in shape. Cocci are located more often singly, bordetella is motionless. It is a hemophilic bacterium, strict anaerobic. There are three exotoxins (pertussis, tracheal and dermonecrotoxin). Parapertussis rods have a tropism for the ciliated epithelium of the respiratory tract.

The causative agent of parapertussis is similar in pathogenicity to whooping cough bacillus. Children attending nurseries, kindergartens, schools are ill with it. The source of infection is a sick child with a course of the disease without symptoms, or a carrier of bacteria (no clinical manifestations).

Parapertussis spreads through the air. With particles of sputum released during coughing, the parapertussis pathogen by inhalation enters the mucous membranes of an uninfected child.

The onset of parapertussis in children is largely facilitated by:

A large number of people in the room;

Rare ventilation or their complete absence;

Dry, warm air, contributing to the drying out of the mucous membrane of the airways, which leads to the loss of its protective properties;

Chronic pathologies of the organs of the nasopharynx that reduce local immunity;

Neurological abnormalities.

Getting on the mucous membrane, the pathogen begins to actively divide in the ciliated epithelium of the airways. With the current of cilia blinking, the parapertussis pathogen enters the lower parts of the lungs (bronchi of the third and lower order, bronchioles, alveoli).

Under the influence of tracheal exotoxin, the epithelium of the mucosa undergoes necrosis, resulting in irritation of the cough receptors. A continuous flow of impulse signals is created to the center of the cough, which is located in the medulla oblongata, where, as a result, a persistent focus of excitation is formed. This is the basis for the attacks of the characteristic cough.

There is no penetration of parapertussis bacteria into the blood. But secondary microbial flora can join, which becomes the cause of complications.

Symptoms of parapertussis in children

Parapertussis can be typical, then the symptoms of the disease are similar to the specific manifestations of whooping cough, but with parapertussis, the course of the disease is much easier. If the disease is erased, then parapertussis in children passes under the guise of a mild acute respiratory infection, accompanied by an unproductive cough. With a transient (passing) bacterial carrier, there are no signs of the suffering of the organism.

The incubation period takes two weeks. At this point, there are no obvious symptoms.

Then comes the prodromal period, it lasts about 5 days. Minor catarrh phenomena manifest: there is not abundant transparent discharge from the nose, moderate redness of the pharynx region, a rare unproductive cough. The state of health of children suffering from para-pertussis remains satisfactory, the temperature is within the permissible value.

Then, with a certain type of course of the disease (erased or typical), the next period begins - the manifestation of clinical symptoms.

Parapertussis in children, in the form of a cough syndrome, proceeds as:

Pertussis-like form, when, after a short calm period of the prodrome, an attack of a characteristic cough appears, accompanied by severe facial flushing, swelling of superficial veins, protruding the tongue outward, reprises (episodes of noisy exhalation at the end of a spastic cough, on inhalation), occasionally ending in rapid vomiting. Unlike whooping cough, attacks of spastic convulsive coughing occur infrequently and are shorter in duration. In infants, such an attack of coughing can provoke a short-term respiratory arrest, which is accompanied by oxygen starvation.

With an erased course, the cough syndrome proceeds as tracheal or tracheobronchial - episodes of hacking cough, with scanty sputum. The diagnosis can be verified only after a specific examination.

The severity of para whooping cough in children is mild and moderate. Criteria for determining severity:

The severity of the lack of oxygenation during an attack;

The duration and frequency of coughing fits;

Vomiting

How does the child feel between attacks;

Indicators of a hemogram.

Parapertussis in a child is rarely complicated. Complications (bronchitis, otitis media, pneumonia), if they occur, are caused by the accumulation of secondary pathogenic flora or exacerbation of existing diseases.

After the child has suffered parapertussis, lifelong immunity is formed.

Although the symptoms of parapertussis in children, which is typical, are specific, nevertheless, an episode of spastic cough is sometimes regarded as a symptom of another disease. There are several main nosologies with a similar clinic:

Whooping cough. With him, the course of the disease, during the period of spastic cough, is more severe, often frequent attacks lead to a violation of health. The catarrhal period is more pronounced.

ARVI, with symptoms of tracheitis, tracheobronchitis. With ARVI, catarrhal manifestations are pronounced, significantly worsen the child's condition, intoxication syndrome is pronounced, there is almost always a fever.

Phenomena of bronchial obstruction of allergic genesis. Here you need to take into account the allergic anamnesis, establish a connection between the episode of coughing and the allergen.

Foreign body in the airways. An episode of a reprise with cyanosis passes almost immediately, and with obstruction by a foreign body, the condition quickly becomes extremely difficult.

Diagnosis of parapertussis in children

There are a number of diagnostic signs of parapertussis in a child, namely:

Direct contact with the patient;

Staging and gradualness of the course of the disease;

No fever;

The child's condition is without deterioration;

Prolonged unproductive cough;

Attacks of spasmodic convulsive cough.

To make an accurate diagnosis, use the following specific diagnostics:

Bacteriological analysis for parapertussis - perform the isolation of the culture of the parapertussis pathogen from the provided material (mucous discharge of the nasopharynx, sputum). Then the pure culture is sown on specific nutrient media. Less commonly, they use the method of "cough jerks". The culture of bacterial microorganisms, which was grown on the medium, is determined by the totality of its inherent characteristics (cultural, biochemical, antigenic).

Analysis for parapertussis with serological tests. It is carried out by means of the complement binding reaction (RSK), agglutination reaction (RA), passive hemagglutination (RPHA). The use of these reactions is justified if the culture of the pathogen has not been analyzed in order to make a reliable diagnosis retrospectively.

Parapertussis antibodies are detectable in serum after 3 weeks of illness. Confirmation of a reliable diagnosis is possible with the progression of antibody titer values in sera, which are analyzed at two-week intervals. In children under 2 years of age, the test for parapertussis, by examining serological reactions, may be negative.

Serological tests should be carried out with diagnosticums (para-pertussis and pertussis), because there is cross-immunity between these two diseases.

The non-specific methods of diagnosing parapertussis in children include a detailed general clinical hemogram. Para-pertussis is characterized by an increase in leukocytes with elevated lymphocytes, or an isolated increase in lymphocytes, while the ESR value does not go beyond the permissible limits.

Radiography as a method of instrumental diagnostics is rarely used. On the survey images of the chest, the drawing of the lungs is strengthened, the compaction of the walls of the bronchi is determined.

Treatment of parapertussis in children

Given the ease of the course of the disease with parapertussis, therapy is carried out at home, under the supervision of a local doctor. Children under one year old or in case of complications are sent to the hospital.

With parapertussis, the appointment of antimicrobial antibacterial drugs is unreasonable. For the treatment of manifestations of parapertussis in a child, symptomatic agents and the following regime measures are used:

The mode is sparing, limiting outdoor games, psycho-emotional stress, excessive stimuli, so as not to provoke a cough.

Nutrition is complete, easily digestible, enriched with vitamins, microelements. After vomiting, supplementation and supplementation are indicated in small portions.

Aerotherapy, which involves constant ventilation. For episodes of convulsive cough accompanied by cyanosis, a free flow of 40% oxygen, through a mask, 3 times a day.

Desensitizing, antihistaminic drugs are shown - Suprastin, Erius, Zirtek, Fenistil, Tavegil, etc.

Sedatives sedatives - Motherwort, Valerian. With overexcitation, frequent coughing, Relanium is prescribed, at a daily dose of 0.3 mg / kg in injections, before bedtime.

Antitussive drugs that block the cough center (Codeine, Sinekod, Stopussin, Codelak, Libeksin).

Drugs that improve the condition of the pulmonary system of the surfactant (Lazolvan, Bromhexin).

Rarely, inhaled glucocorticoids (Budesonide) are prescribed.

Drugs that help level the negative effect of hypoxia, improving blood flow (Trental, Vinpocetine).

Folk remedies (fennel decoction, rosehip decoctions, lungwort).

Prevention of parapertussis in children

Prevention of this disease is as follows:

Quarantine measures. Isolation of a child up to a year for 25 days from the onset of the disease. Quarantine measures do not apply to those who have been in direct contact with the sick person. The exception is children of the first year, who are constantly monitored for 2 weeks, from the moment of the last contact with the sick person. Disinfection is not necessary, washing the floors every day and constant ventilation is enough.

Places of great crowding of children (nurseries, kindergartens, schools) should be regularly provided with fresh and cool air, through regular through ventilation or constant micro-ventilation. Observance of the thermal regime is imperative.

Carrying out a set of activities that can strengthen the immune forces. Providing a rational, balanced diet, taking vitamin and mineral complexes. Regular performance of basic physical exercises, hardening.

Identification, diagnosis and sanitation of sources of chronic infection (adenoiditis, tonsillitis, caries, etc.).

Parapertussis in children in the structure of morbidity is rare, has a mild course, a characteristic specific clinical picture, is not difficult to diagnose and is easily amenable to conservative treatment. But given the likelihood of complications that pose a serious danger to infants, the problem of preventing the incidence of parapertussis remains relevant for pediatricians. To minimize the possibility of infection, it is worthwhile to carry out preventive measures in a timely manner that can strengthen the body's natural immune defenses, which will prevent the development of the disease. If the infection has occurred, then it is strictly forbidden to self-medicate, especially with regard to the uncontrolled use of antitussive drugs. Only a responsible implementation of the recommendations and prescriptions of a doctor guarantees a smooth course of parapertussis in a child with a minimum risk of complications.