ENA Podcast · Emergency Nurses Association

Whoop, Here It Is: Whooping Cough Cases on The Rise

·14 min·1 clip

CDC reports five times more whooping cough cases in 2024 than last year—what does this mean for emergency departments?

This episode of the ENA Podcast focuses on the recent rise in whooping cough cases and its implications for emergency departments. Host Dan Campana, the ENA's Director of Communications, is joined by guest expert Julie Cohen, Chair of the ENA's Pediatric Committee. Cohen is a staff nurse with over 20 years of experience in a New York emergency department that handles both adult and pediatric patients. The discussion centers on data from the CDC indicating a significant increase in pertussis cases in 2024. Cases in late October were five times higher than at the same point in 2023. Overall case numbers have now surpassed pre-pandemic levels from 2019. A key challenge highlighted is that whooping cough is often an unrecognized and underreported disease. The conversation explores how emergency departments can better manage and track these cases. Cohen brings a practical perspective from her frontline role in a Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center. One insight is that the rise necessitates a renewed focus on recognition and reporting protocols within EDs. The episode implies that the post-pandemic landscape may be contributing to the current surge in infections. Cohen's extensive clinical background provides authority on pediatric emergency care specifics. The tone is professional and advisory, aimed at a nursing and healthcare practitioner audience. The hosts frame the increase as a notable trend requiring attention and preparedness. The episode maintains an educational and conversational style, structured as an interview between a host and a committee chair. It is informational, focusing on data interpretation and clinical implications rather than personal narratives. This episode is ideal for emergency nurses, pediatric healthcare providers, and public health professionals tracking infectious disease trends. Listeners seeking broad public commentary or patient stories might find the discussion too clinically focused.

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