Whooping cough in adults

摘要

A 46-year-old female finance officer presents to morning surgery complaining of an unusual cough going on for 5 weeks. 'I thought I had a bit of a cold, but now when I cough, it really hits hard', she says. There is no relationship to the time of day and there are no exacerbating factors. She reports no fever, tiredness or coryzal symptoms and no haemoptysis, shortness of breath, weight loss, appetite loss or skin rashes. She is a non-smoker with no occupational risks and no history of tuberculosis. Indeed, she has no significant past medical history and is taking no medication. She reports that her husband has developed a similar cough. The patient appears well, and examination and observations are all normal.