Recurrent apnea in an infant with pertussis due to household transmission

Motoharu Ochi1, Nobuyuki Nosaka2, Emily Knaup3

  • 1Department of Pediatrics Okayama University Hospital Okayama Japan.

Clinical Case Reports
|March 8, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Bordetella pertussis causes severe apnea in infants. Lymphocytosis aids diagnosis and severity assessment, but antibiotics only reduce transmission, not disease duration.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Pertussis, caused by Bordetella pertussis, poses a significant threat to infants, potentially leading to life-threatening apnea.
  • Lymphocytosis, an elevated white blood cell count, is a key diagnostic indicator and prognostic marker for pertussis severity.

Observation:

  • While antibiotics are used to treat pertussis, they do not alter the disease's course or duration.
  • Antibiotic treatment primarily serves to reduce the transmission risk of Bordetella pertussis.

Findings:

  • The study highlights that lymphocytosis is a crucial diagnostic and severity-determining factor in pertussis.
  • Antibiotics are ineffective in shortening the illness or improving outcomes for infected individuals.

Implications:

  • Antepartum maternal immunization is a critical strategy for protecting infants against pertussis.
  • Preventive measures, such as maternal vaccination, are essential due to the limitations of antibiotic treatment in pertussis.

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