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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffIf you think you or your child has whooping cough, make an appointment with your family doctor or pediatrician. Severe symptoms may warrant a visit to an urgent care center or a hospital's emergency department.
What you can do
You may want to write a list that includes:
- Detailed descriptions of the signs and symptoms
- Information about past medical problems
- Information about the medical problems of parents or siblings
- Questions you want to ask the doctor
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor will conduct a physical exam and will use a stethoscope to listen closely to the lungs. Questions your doctor may ask include:
- When did the cough start?
- How long does a coughing spell generally last?
- Does anything trigger the cough?
- Does the cough ever cause gagging or vomiting?
- Has the cough ever resulted in a red or blue face?
- Pertussis (whooping cough): What you need to know. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/Features/Pertussis/. Accessed Oct. 9, 2009.
- Hewlett EL. Whooping cough and other Bordetella infections. In: Goldman L, et al. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/164191733-4/899761629/1492/1170.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2805-5..50339-6_14460. Accessed Oct. 9, 2009.
- Long SS. Pertussis. In: Kliegman RM, et al. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/164191733-4/899761629/1608/548.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2450-7..50196-1_4360. Accessed Oct. 9, 2009.
- Lipsky M. Pertussis (whooping cough). American Medical Association. http://www.medem.com/?q=medlib/article/ZZZPWVII1AC. Accessed Oct. 9, 2009.
- Yeh S, et al. Clinical features and diagnosis of Bordetella pertussis infection in infants and children. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 9, 2009.
- Yeh S. Treatment and prevention of Bordetella pertussis infection in infants and children. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 13, 2009.
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