Whooping cough: information in Portuguese

A clinician may use the name pertussis. In Portuguese, coqueluche and tosse convulsa are names for the same illness. It can begin like a cold, then develop into repeated, forceful coughing spells. Some people make a sharp intake of breath after a coughing spell, while others vomit, feel exhausted, or do not make that sound at all.

Whooping cough can spread through respiratory droplets. Babies, pregnant people, and people with breathing or immune-system conditions deserve particular caution when there is close contact with someone who has a persistent severe cough.

Arrange a clinical assessment if the cough comes in bouts, causes vomiting, disrupts breathing, or follows contact with someone diagnosed with pertussis. The clinician may ask when the illness began, listen to the chest, and decide whether a swab or other test is useful.

Antibiotics can be prescribed in some situations to reduce spread or manage confirmed or suspected infection. Take only medication chosen for you, and ask the clinician which household members or close contacts need advice. Keep distance from babies and other vulnerable people until you have been given clear instructions.

Seek urgent medical care for trouble breathing, blue or grey lips or face, fainting, a seizure, chest pain, confusion, or signs that a child is not feeding or drinking adequately. A baby with pauses in breathing or marked sleepiness needs urgent assessment even if the cough seems mild.

Contact a clinician promptly when fever occurs with worsening illness, coughing spells are becoming more intense, or recovery is not following the expected course.

Ask whether the pattern of cough could fit pertussis, whether testing would change care, and whether treatment is appropriate now. You can also ask how to protect a baby, pregnant household member, or person with a long-term lung condition at home.

If language support would help, ask for a Portuguese interpreter so medicine instructions, isolation advice, and follow-up signs are understood clearly.