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Severe pertussis in newborns and young vulnerable infants

Gustavo Rocha1, Filipa Flôr-de-Lima, Paulo Soares

  • 1From the *Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Hospital de São João; †Faculty of Medicine, Porto University; ‡Division of Neonatology, Maternidade Júlio Dinis; §Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Hospital Geral de Santo António; ¶Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Centro Hospitalar de Vila Nova de Gaia; ‖Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Pedro Hispano, Matosinhos, Porto; and **Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Hospital de Braga, Braga, Portugal.

The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal
|September 27, 2013
PubMed

Insights

In unvaccinated infants, severe pulmonary hypertension and mortality were high, particularly in 2012. Hyperleukocytosis indicated a worse clinical outcome and increased mortality risk.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric critical care medicine
  • Neonatology
  • Infectious disease epidemiology

Background:

  • Vaccination is crucial for preventing severe infant illnesses.
  • Unvaccinated infants may face increased risks of serious complications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the clinical outcomes of unvaccinated infants admitted to intensive care units.
  • To identify risk factors associated with severe disease and mortality in this population.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective chart review of 18 unvaccinated newborns and infants.
  • Data collected from 6 intensive care units in northern Portugal (2007-2012).
  • Analysis of admission rates, clinical severity, and mortality.

Main Results:

  • A notable increase in admissions occurred in 2012.
  • Severe pulmonary hypertension and mortality rates were significant.
  • Hyperleukocytosis was strongly linked to a severe clinical presentation and higher mortality.

Conclusions:

  • Unvaccinated infants admitted to ICUs exhibit high rates of severe pulmonary hypertension and mortality.
  • Hyperleukocytosis is a critical indicator of poor prognosis in these infants.
  • Findings underscore the importance of vaccination for infant health protection.

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