Patient's question:
Recently, I've been experiencing chest pain and tightness in my chest. The hospital examination suggested a respiratory disease, but the medication hasn't been very effective. Recently, my cough has worsened. Is it possible that I have a positive IgM antibody for pertussis?Doctor's answer:
Now, using Bordetella pertussis toxin and filamentous hemagglutinin as antigens to test forIgM antibodies can serve as early definitive diagnosis, with a positive rate of 70%. In addition to testing forIgM antibodies using antigens, it is currently believed that nasopharyngeal swab culture is more effective than cough plate culture. The earlier the culture is performed, the higher the positive rate. During the catarrhal stage, the positive rate of culture can reach 90%, while it is only 50% in the third to fourth week after onset. Sampling during or after paroxysmal coughing yields higher positive rates. If the culture medium contains penicillin, it can promote the growth of other bacteria, which further aids the growth of Bordetella pertussis.