Red Book Online Presents: Diagnosis Detective | April 2025
Editor: Kristina A. Bryant, MD, FAAP
Case contributed by Roshini Murugadass, medical student, The University of Queensland, Ochsner Clinical School
A previously healthy two-month-old female presented with a runny nose and cough for one week without fever. Over the last two days, her symptoms have worsened, and she has had several bouts of vomiting after aggressive coughing. She was born at 39 weeks gestation, has no history of serious illness, and has not received any vaccinations. Her mother reports that she and her four other children have also been coughing for several weeks. On examination, the patient is tachypneic with moderate retractions. No wheezes, rales, or rhonchi are heard upon auscultation of lung fields. Midway through the exam, the infant begins to cough and becomes apneic.
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