[What'sNext??]

So DS was exposed to whooping cough 2 weeks ago (friend of dd, positive swab).

He is fully immunised and we suspect he had whooping cough when he was 12-15 months old (but not swabbed). 2 nights ago he started coughing, not badly and really only at night time. Note to self to pay attention. Has been complaining of a sore throat. Tonight coughing a lot to the point of just vomiting everywhere. But the cough doesn't whoop, just normal cough.

Whilst DH thinks he doesn't need to go to the doctor, I will take him tomorrow (he's fine during the day & there is no whoop so you're just being hysterical) and will request test as I don't want to spread it further if it is.

So.... In this situation would you?

A- take DS for last day of school transition in the morning? I really don't want him to miss it :-(
B- if swabbed but no results yet, would you take him to kinder?
C- if swabbed but no results yet, would you take him to a family get together where there is a baby and another immune compromised person?

And lastly without a whoop is it still even likely to be whooping cough?

Thanks in advance!

[Luxe]

When I had bronchitis is was mostly bad at night. I cough so repetitively I couldn't breathe properly, was gasping for air and almost vomiting. I was coughing up grey gunk.

I'd take him to the doctor anyway. If he improves during daylight hours maybe he can still do the last day but take him to the dr at the end of day.

[Liadan]

whooping cough in adults and in vaccinated children does not always have that whooping sound.

As he has been exposed, I would avoid risking exposing babies and immune - compromised people, especially babies.

Not worth the risk, IMO.

[FunkyChooken]

nope there doesnt have to be a whoop sound.

[Jemstar]

No, especially not in a vaccinated child.
Two of my children had WC last year and the Dr that diagnosed had every GP in the practice listening to my eldest's cough because a child with WC that has been vax'd apparently sounds different.

[MiSS_E]

When I had whooping cough it lasted all day and night (there is no way I would have been fine during the day, the cough was relentless). I also had the whoop sound because the coughing took my breath away and I had to gasp some air in. That said I'm not a doctor and I would definitely have him checked since you suspect it and the previous exposure.

eta I had it as an adult, and I was not vaccinated.

This post has been edited by MiSS_E: 15/11/2012, 09:26 PM

[.Jerry.]

My 6 year old and I are on the tail end of whooping cough. I had no whoop. Molly did whoop at times. I used to think the whoop was on the cough, but the whoop is actually the intake of air after the cough. This is because in a whooping coughing fit you actually expel so much air you need to whoop to take air in.
My daughter would go purple and silent after a coughing fit. Scary.
I didn't, but I did have prolonged coughing fits.

I found this site helpful: http://www.whoopingcough.net/

I also looked on youtube for clips of what whooping cough looked and sounded like.

Molly and I both had the swab tests which were positive.

I would get checked out.

[Sinister Bonnet]

My non-vaccinated child (do not judge, he is on the spectrum and the evidence was all OM*G wutdo back then) had whooping cough and never whooped.

When he saw the GP for a mild nagging cough that had gone on for a few weeks, she was vindictively nasty and said it is whooping cough! And I said errr he's only just mildly coughing at night, it's nothing like full on whooping cough. We did bloods, she crowed at me, I changed GPs.

So yeah totally possible. Evidence now in on ASD and vaccination so I would make different choices now.

[Jemstar]

She did bloods? That's unusual, whopping cough is usually diagnosed with nasal aspiration.

[glasnost]

DS1 & DD had wc a few weeks ago. They both just had bad coughs (mostly at night). DS would cough to the point of throwing up. They did not "whoop"- as pps have said the vax usually takes the "whoop" out of the cough.


I would not be taking my kids near young babies/ those with lower immunity until you have swab results back or the cough is completely gone.