Final answer:
2. Corticosteroid The nurse knows that when a patient is diagnosed with pertussis, the treatment will include antibiotics; specifically, erythromycin or tetracycline to fight the bacterial infection caused by Bordetella pertussis.
Step-by-step explanation:
When the patient with a persisting cough is diagnosed with pertussis (instead of acute bronchitis), the nurse knows that treatment will include antibiotics. Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, is a bacterial infection caused by Bordetella pertussis. The disease is highly contagious and can lead to severe coughing. The use of antibiotics like erythromycin or tetracycline is most effective at the earliest stages of the disease, to not only mitigate the symptoms but also to reduce the rate of transmission. Cough suppressants are generally not recommended for productive coughs like those seen in pertussis because they prevent the expulsion of mucus.
Other medication types such as corticosteroids and bronchodilators are used for other conditions such as asthma, where they serve to reduce inflammation and open up the airways, respectively. It is important to note that active vaccination with the DTaP or Tdap vaccine is a preventative strategy against pertussis.When a patient with a persisting cough is diagnosed with pertussis (whooping cough) instead of acute bronchitis, the treatment will include antibiotics. Antibiotics, such as erythromycin or tetracycline, are prescribed to patients with pertussis at the earliest stages of the disease to reduce transmission and control the infection. Other medications like corticosteroids, bronchodilators, and cough suppressants are not typically used in the treatment of pertussis.