Abstract

BackgroundPertussis, a highly contagious respiratory illness, affects people of all ages and can have serious clinical consequences. It has been reported that from 1997–2000, 20% of all pertussis cases required hospitalization in the US. This analysis examined demographics, case fatality rate, resource use and costs of hospital care related to pertussis by age.MethodsICD-9 codes (033.0, 033.9) were used to identify cases of pertussis in hospital discharge databases from roughly 1,000 US hospitals in 4 states (California, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts). Data from 1996–1999 were examined by age group. Separate analyses were done for infants (<1 year) and children (1–11 years); however, adolescent and adult cases were combined into one group (12+ years), due to the small number of cases. Databases were used to determine demographics, health service utilization and care costs. Cost estimates include accommodations, ancillary and physician services, reported in 2002 US$.ResultsOf the 2,518 cases identified, 90% were infants. The inpatient case fatality rate was <1%. Of survivors, 99% were discharged home (6% with home health care); 1% required further sub-acute inpatient care. For the 2,266 infants, the mean LOS was 6 days at a cost of $9,586 per stay. Children (n = 191) had a mean LOS of 3.7 and cost of $4,729; adolescents/adults (n = 61, mean age 40 years) stayed on average 3.4 days with a cost of $5,683 per hospitalization.ConclusionInfants are responsible for the bulk of hospitalizations and generate higher inpatient costs. Costly hospital care occurs, however, in patients with pertussis at all ages.

Highlights

  • Pertussis, a highly contagious respiratory illness, affects people of all ages and can have serious clinical consequences

  • A total of 2,518 cases admitted to hospital for pertussis during the four-year period were identified (Table 1)

  • Almost all of these patients admitted with pertussis survived and returned home, yet these results show that the economic consequences of pertussis at any age can be considerable

Read more

Summary

Introduction

A highly contagious respiratory illness, affects people of all ages and can have serious clinical consequences. Bordetella pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory illness that can have serious clinical consequences It is endemic in the United States (US) and every 3 – 5 years an outbreak occurs [1]. It is most commonly thought of as a childhood disease, not ranking high on the list of differential diagnoses for adolescents or adults presenting with respiratory symptoms. While this may be understandable as the reported incidence of pertussis declined by 99.6% between the mid-1930s to 1970s [2] due to effective childhood vaccination programs, clinicians need to be aware that pertussis continues to be a problem that is on the rise.

Methods
Results
Discussion
Conclusion
Full Text
Paper version not known

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call