This post is an answer to the Case – Infant Girl with Respiratory Distress
A Giemsa stain of the peripheral blood smear showed atypical lymphocytes (image) with cleaved or lobulated nuclei. A PCR assay of the nasopharyngeal aspirates for Bordetella pertussis DNA was positive, which confirmed the diagnosis of pertussis.
The girl completed oral therapy with azithromycin and her respiratory distress gradually improved, but her cough persisted for another month before complete resolution.
