Pertussis: Severe clinical presentation in pediatric intensive care and its relation to outcome

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To describe our institutional experience in the management of infants and children with pertussis admitted during a 20-yr period (January 1985 through December 2004) and also to study the relation between method of presentation and outcome. SETTING: Pediatric intensive care unit in a university-affiliated tertiary pediatric hospital in Melbourne, Australia. DESIGN/METHODS: Retrospective review of medical records and radiology reports of patients with a diagnosis of pertussis identified from the pediatric intensive care unit database. RESULTS: A total of 49 patients (median age, 6 wks; interquartile range, 4-8 wks) required 55 admission episodes to the pediatric intensive care unit..