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Leukopheresis therapy for severe infantile pertussis with myocardial and pulmonary failure

Marek J Grzeszczak1, Kevin B Churchwell, Kathryn M Edwards

  • 1Division of Pediatric Critical Care, Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA. marek.j.grzeszczak@vanderbilt.edu

Pediatric Critical Care Medicine : a Journal of the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the World Federation of Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care Societies
|August 1, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Severe pertussis in an infant was successfully treated with leukopheresis. This intervention normalized the high white blood cell count, leading to significant cardiorespiratory improvement and survival.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Hematology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Pertussis (whooping cough) can cause severe complications in infants, including cardiorespiratory failure.
  • Markedly elevated white blood cell counts (leukocytosis) are a known complication of severe pertussis.

Observation:

  • A 5-week-old infant with pertussis presented with severe cardiorespiratory compromise.
  • The infant had an extremely high white blood cell count.

Findings:

  • A single session of leukopheresis was performed to reduce the white blood cell count.
  • Following leukopheresis, the infant showed normalization of white blood cell count and marked improvement in cardiorespiratory status.
  • The patient survived the critical illness.

Implications:

  • This case suggests that leukopheresis can be an effective treatment for severe pertussis complicated by cardiorespiratory failure.
  • The findings support the hypothesis that extreme leukocytosis plays a significant role in the cardiopulmonary compromise seen in severe pertussis.
  • Leukopheresis may be a valuable therapeutic option in managing life-threatening pertussis in infants.
Abstract

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