Explaining pertussis, isolation and prophylaxis — OSCE

Candidate instructions (8-minute station)

You are the paediatric registrar in the clinic. A 7-year-old child has a PCR-confirmed diagnosis of pertussis after a two-week paroxysmal cough with a whoop and post-tussive vomiting. The child is fully vaccinated and recovering. At home there is a 4-week-old newborn sibling and the child's aunt, who is 32 weeks pregnant, is currently staying with the family. ^[8]

Your tasks are: ^[1]

1. Explain the diagnosis of pertussis and what the illness will look like over the coming weeks, in plain language. ^[1]
2. Explain the isolation and school-exclusion plan, and why it matters even though the child is recovering. ^[10]
3. Explain why the newborn sibling and the pregnant aunt need prompt assessment and prophylaxis, and what that involves. ^[10]
4. Address the mother's question of why a fully vaccinated child caught pertussis at all. ^[1]

You are not expected to take a full contact-tracing history yourself or to prescribe doses for the newborn without senior review — flag that the newborn needs same-day assessment because apnoea can be the first sign in an infant. ^[8]