LETTERS.

Forgotten but Not Gone

I contracted pertussis from an 11-year-old patient with an unusual cough on my last day of work at my pediatric practice before I went on maternity leave. I subsequently went into labor 6 days later and delivered my son without complications at 37 weeks.

Seven days after exposure, I developed a severe cough that made me feel as if I were choking. I asked my ob.gyn. if it could be pertussis, knowing I had been exposed to an unusual cough. My doctor told me that it would be highly unlikely and suggested I take Keflex, given a prior history of endometritis after delivery of my daughter. My physician instructed me to take a Z-Pak if the cough wasn't getting better after the Keflex. I started a Z-Pak 10 days post partum.

My son developed a cough after 20 days. I asked three of my partners if I should start erythromycin estolate, but they said pertussis was a disease of the past.

My son soon developed color change on feeding, along with projectile vomiting. The next morning my son became apneic in my arms with color change and was admitted for 20 days, the first 14 of which were spent in the pediatric ICU. He was intubated and extubated four times until he was stable off the ventilator.

Over the next 100 days he had 16-25 apneic episodes that resolved with blowing in his face or placing oxygen under his nose for 1-5 seconds. We were discharged after 20 days in the hospital with home nursing, oxygen, and an apnea monitor to intervene in further episodes the remaining 100 days.

Although I have an excellent ob.gyn and trust my partners with my children's care, I don't believe most physicians see pertussis as a threat to our patients.