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Whooping Cough/Pertussis
Published in Charles Theisler, Adjuvant Medical Care, 2023
Whooping cough is a highly contagious respiratory tract infection which is more common in children than adults. It is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. In its early stages, pertussis appears to be nothing more than the common cold. After one to two weeks, more severe symptoms start to appear. In many people, whooping cough is marked by severe uncontrollable coughing fits followed by a high-pitched intake of breath that sounds like “whoop.” The coughing fit may be so severe as to obstruct breathing, cause vomiting, or even crack ribs.1 Despite vaccinations, worrisome outbreaks of whooping cough have been seen in the past decade.2
Pulmonary Medicine
Published in James M. Rippe, Manual of Lifestyle Medicine, 2021
Acute cough is one that has been present for less than three weeks (2). The most common cause of acute cough is respiratory infection, which is typically characterized by spittle production and may be accompanied by a raw substernal sensation. Subclinical bronchial spasm may also cause acute cough. Mild asthma may also present with acute cough. Some exposures to allergens, cold air, or exercising may result in a transient cough. Pulmonary function tests, including spirometry, are often needed to make a specific diagnosis. Hyper-reactive airways without wheezing can present as a chronic cough, which has been termed cough-variant asthma. GERD also is a common cause of chronic cough. Chronic bronchitis which is defined as a productive cough present for more than three months a year for more than two years is another cause of chronic cough. A chest X-ray is often helpful in determining abnormalities that may result in a chronic cough.
Disorders of the respiratory system
Published in Judy Bothamley, Maureen Boyle, Medical Conditions Affecting Pregnancy and Childbirth, 2020
The inner lining of the trachea is a cilia-lined mucus membrane which wafts mucus and particles upwards. Nerve endings in the larynx, trachea and bronchi are sensitive to irritation. A cough reflex is generated via the vagus nerve to expel mucus and/or foreign material from the mouth. Bronchioles are made up of smooth muscle. This makes them responsive to autonomic nerve stimulation. The diameter of the air passages is therefore altered by the contraction or relaxation of these involuntary muscles. Asthma is a condition whereby a range of factors cause inflammation, narrowing of the airways, and contraction of the smooth muscle of the airway walls (broncho-spasm). Gastro-oesophageal reflux can trigger asthma in the third trimester.
A review of the DTaP-IPV-HB-PRP-T Hexavalent vaccine in pediatric patients
Published in Expert Review of Vaccines, 2023
Andrew Dakin, Ray Borrow, Peter D. Arkwright
Globally, there were more than 151,000 cases of pertussis in 2018. Pertussis is spread easily from person to person via droplets from coughing or sneezing. Patients are contagious up to 3 weeks from the beginning of the cough [17]. In European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) countries there were 35,627 cases in 2018 with 72% of the notified cases coming from 5 countries: Germany, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and the UK [18]. In 2020, there were 994 cases reported, while in 2021 only 49 new cases. The COVID-19 pandemic and implementation of social distancing and lockdown in the UK from March 2020 significantly impacted both the spread and detection of pertussis infections. Since the introduction of the maternal vaccination program, there has been a decline in infantile Pertussis from 234/100,000 in 2012, to 0.7/100,000 in 2021 [19].
Cost-effectiveness of influenza vaccination with a high dose quadrivalent vaccine of the elderly population in Belgium, Finland, and Portugal
Published in Journal of Medical Economics, 2023
Fabián P. Alvarez, Pierre Chevalier, Matthias Borms, Hélène Bricout, Catia Marques, Anu Soininen, Tatu Sainio, Christine Petit, Caroline de Courville
Influenza is an acute respiratory infection caused by an RNA virus of the Orthomyxoviridae family. Usually, flu starts suddenly with a high fever, muscular soreness, headache, severe fatigue, general discomfort, and respiratory symptoms, such as dry cough, rhinorrhea. The illness lasts for about a week, but fatigue is frequently felt for two weeks or more1. A dry cough can persist for two weeks. Although benign in most cases, influenza may lead to severe complications or an aggravation of an already existing chronic disease (such as diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure, chronic kidney disease2). Evidence shows that influenza increases the risk of pneumonia by 100 in the week following the infection, due to the influenza virus implication in the pathogenesis of several respiratory bacterial pathogens commonly associated with pneumonia3. In addition, a large number of published papers suggests that laboratory-confirmed influenza infection may be associated with an increased risk of acute myocardial infarction estimated as six times higher4. In a case-crossover analysis using California data, among 36,975 hospitalized ischemic strokes, the risk of stroke after an Influenza‐like illness (ILI) episode increased by almost three times in the days following the flu infection5.
Analysis of COVID-19 Pandemic on Supplement Usage and Its Combination with Self-Medication within the State of Arkansas
Published in Journal of Dietary Supplements, 2023
J. Corbin Norton, Maria D. Politis, Milan Bimali, Keyur S. Vyas, Emine Bircan, Wendy N. Nembhard, Benjamin C. Amick, Igor Koturbash
The majority of individuals reported as having 2–3 symptoms (39.7%) (Figure 4). Of those who reported having symptoms, the most common symptoms were cough (17%), fatigue/malaise (14%), headache (13%), and difficulty breathing/shortness of breath (12%) (Table 7). Interestingly, those who reported having symptoms and using DS had an average symptom score that was slightly higher than those who did not report using DS (3.93 vs 3.68, respectively; p < 0.0001) (Table 8). Similarly, the group that reported having symptoms and taking any medication also had an average symptom score that was higher than those who did not report taking any medication (4.61 vs 3.67, respectively; p < 0.0001). Individuals who reported using either DS and/or medications had an average symptom score of 4.02 compared to those who did not 3.62, (p < 0.0001). Women reported a higher average symptom score than men (3.85 vs. 3.48, respectively; p = 0.0004) (Table 9). When comparing different races/ethnicities, there was no significant difference in average symptom scores with non-Hispanic whites reporting the highest average symptom score of 4.09, while Asian Americans reported the lowest score of 3.50 (p = 0.0746). Lastly, in terms of age groups, individuals in their 5th decade of life had a significantly higher average symptom score (4.11), while our youngest demographic (age 1–18 years) had the lowest symptom score of 3.22 (p = 0.0058).