Pertussis in children under the age of 10

Abstract

Introduction/Objective. Pertussis is a vaccine-preventable disease that causes a large number of cases and hospitalizations worldwide. The aim of this study was to determine predictors of hospitalization in cases of pertussis among children under 10 years of age in the South Backa District of Vojvodina Province, Serbia. Methods. Data for this observational study were obtained from inpatient and outpatient healthcare facilities in the South Backa District from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2016. We evaluated predictors of hospitalization among the patients who fulfilled the criteria of case definitions of pertussis proposed by the Global Pertussis Initiative. Pertussis was confirmed by DNA polymerase chain reaction or ELISA serology tests. Results. Out of 122 laboratory-confirmed pertussis cases, 43 (35.2%) were hospitalized. Apnea and pneumonia were associated with hospitalization, and all six hospitalized patients aged 0?3 months had cyanosis. Apnea was a good predictor of hospitalization among children with any duration of cough (p < 0.05). Among children with a cough that lasted longer than 14 days, post-tussive emesis or pneumonia or contact with a person who had a prolonged cough were associated with hospitalization (p = 0.035, p = 0.042, and p = 0.046, respectively). There were fewer hospitalizations in properly vaccinated cases than in partly or non-vaccinated cases between two months and four years of age (p < 0.008). Conclusions. Among the pertussis cases under 10 years of age, apnea, pneumonia, and cyanosis were factors associated with hospitalization. Immunization against pertussis corresponding to age reduces the disease severity and hospitalizations in children from two months to four years of age.