A CASE OF PERTUSIS OR WHOOPING COUGH

 A Case of PERTUSIS Or WHOOPING COUGH  

       Presented By Dr UdayMani Kaushik
   
In a  8 months old child treated (& cured) with homeopathy.


It is a good example of case taking in infants.

PERTUSSIS (WHOOPING COUGH)

Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a Highly Contagious Disease that is one of the leading causes of  vaccine-preventable deaths.

There Are 30–50 Million Cases Per Year, And About 300,000 Deaths Per Year (World Health Organization Data).

Worldwide whooping cough affects 48.5 million people yearly resulting in nearly 295,000 deaths. ( Wikipedia.org)

Most Deaths Occur In Children under One Year Of Age.

It is caused by certain species of the Bacterium Bordetella usually B. Pertussis, but some cases are caused by   B. Parapertussis.


Pertussis was firstly described in 1578 by Guillaume de Baillou (1538-1616),   B. Pertussis was isolated in pure culture in 1906 by Jules Bordet and Octave Gengou.


CHARACTERIZATION

Pertussis is characterized initially by mild respiratory infections symptoms such as Cough, sneezing, and runny nose (catarrhal stage). After one to two weeks the cough changes character, with paroxysms of coughing followed by an inspiratory "whooping" sound (paroxysmal stage).

Complications may be Pneumonia, Convulsions, Seizures, Encephalopathy or Earache. 



Conventional Treatment of Pertussis

Antibiotics
Most commonly used are erythromycin, azithromycin, clarithromycin.

History of The 8 month old male child

Previously treated with allopathic medicines And A Homoeopathic Physician With – Aconite , Drosera, Ant.T, Gels, Spongia , Justicea etc. without remarkable relief.

COUGH –

DRY SPASMODIC ,
WHOOPING COUGH
< EVENING
< NIGHT

On auscultation there were deep crepitation and wheezing sound all over chest.

On coughing his face used to become red and he wept after every spell of coughing.

At the pause of coughing he was making sound Continuously as GRUNTING as chest filled with sputum from throat.

But whenever some family member call him for diverting his attention ,he used to smile with STARING and fix his eyes just as saying his inability.

But not to offer his hands to come on lap his sound of grunting discontinue that time.

OBSERVATIONS

Child was lying dull on arms of his mother with fixed eyes.
He was weeping in a very low tone which ended with SHRIEKING.
Whenever his mother touches him on back he used to weep.
He has left himself on the shoulder of mother and STARING HELPLESSLY as if nothing can make him all right.
His mother added that his grunting sound remains continue even in sleeping condition.
Sleep - very light , jerking in legs and arms on going to sleep.
Weeps in very low tone after passing stool (stool is loose although).


RUBRICS For REPERTORISATION

1. DISCONCERTED
2. SHRIEKING - HELP FOR
3 .WEEPING - CARESSING FROM
4. GRUNTING - SLEEP DURING
5 CARRIED - DESIRE TO BE CARRIED
6. STARING - THOUGHTLESS
7. WEEPING WHIMPERING

Other Supportive Rubrics
 
8. COUGH- AGG NIGHT
9. COUGH-CONVULSIVE, SPASMODIC , NIGHT
10. COUGH- WHOOPING 

Repertorisation Chart

 
PRESCRIPTION

IGNATIA  30   
3 Doses with in 15 minutes interval.
Followed by placebo.


RESULTS

COUGH - Much subsided same night.

Child slept well.

No whooping sound next morning.

Child was free from cough totally within 10 - 12 days.