Pertussis
Structured condition card with NCLEX priority cues and nursing action focus.
Infectious Diseasehigh priorityneeds review
Pertussis
Etiology / Pathophysiology
- Bordetella pertussis infection spread by respiratory droplets.
- Toxin-mediated respiratory illness causes paroxysmal cough and apnea risk in infants.
Medications
| Class | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Antibiotics by class | Macrolide therapy/prophylaxis may be used per public health guidance. |
Signs / symptoms
- Whooping cough, post-tussive vomiting.
- Infants can have apnea without classic whoop.
Nursing actions
- Use droplet precautions.
- Assess cough spells, apnea, cyanosis, feeding difficulty, and dehydration.
- Promote immunization and report/follow public health requirements.
Complications
- Apnea
- Pneumonia
- Seizures
- Dehydration
NCLEX cues
- Whooping cough, post-tussive vomiting.
- Infants can have apnea without classic whoop.
Memory hooks
- Pertussis cough travels by droplets.
Labs / Diagnostics
- Trend assessment findings and ordered diagnostics; verify exact values with school source material.
Review notes
- Session-derived study seed. Verify against school materials, ATI/NCLEX review sources, current orders, and facility policy before relying on details.
Cross references
Related cards are generated from the shared study map, not hand-built per page.
Source entitycondition card
Pertussis
Condition card for Pertussis: recognize the testable cue, prevent the complication, and choose the safest first nursing action.
Termcondition cue
Droplet precautions
Isolation used for infections spread by large respiratory droplets.
Med classmedication safety
Antibiotics by class
Targets bacterial growth or cell structures; exact teaching depends on the antibiotic class.