A nurse is collecting data from a child who has pertussis. Which of the following manifestations should the nurse expect?

Rationale: A. Beefy, red tongue: A beefy, red tongue is typically associated with scarlet fever, not pertussis. It results from the streptococcal infection and accompanying inflammatory response, which is unrelated to the bacterial cause and symptom pattern of pertussis. B. Productive cough with thick mucous: Pertussis, or whooping cough, usually causes a paroxysmal, dry, hacking cough followed by a characteristic "whooping" sound on inspiration. It is not commonly associated with a productive cough containing thick mucus, especially in early and peak stages. C. Facial erythema: Facial erythema can occur during severe coughing fits in children with pertussis due to the forceful and prolonged nature of coughing episodes. The increased intrathoracic pressure during coughing may lead to flushing or redness of the face. D. Koplik spots: Koplik spots are small, bluish-white lesions on the buccal mucosa and are an early sign of measles, not pertussis. They are not present in bacterial infections like Bordetella pertussis, which affects the respiratory tract.