Abstract
Aims & Objectives: Whooping cough is a respiratory disease caused by bacteria of bordetella gender. It can cause high mortality among young breastfed babies. This can be reduced by the use of efficient vaccination programmes. This article details the clinical and epidemiological characteristics for an eight years period. Methods: A retrospective analysis was made with 88 medical histories. A case was defined with compatible signs and PCR confirmation. The researchers count with the authorization of the hospital ethical committee. Results: The highest incidence was recorded in 2012 and 2015; 67% of the patients were under 4 months old and the average stay at the hospital was of seven days. The average PIM2 was 1,2%, and at the unit for the same period was 3,8%. The maternal immunization coverage was 10% and 78% of the children had less than 2 doses of the pentavalent vaccine. The 17% suffered from severe hypoxemia and 15% of pulmonary hypertension; 25% required assisted ventilation with a 5 days mean. Six cases required nitric oxide on an average of 102 hours. The 11% needed an exchange transfusion. The mortality was 7%, among a global mortality of 2,8% during the same period. Conclusions: The complications and evolution of the severe whooping cough cases are similar to the ones reported internationally. In our health system the vaccination of pregnant women is compulsory since 2015, but its compliance is low, increasing the risk of infections among the most vulnerable age group.
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