[Hospital admissions due to whooping cough: experience of the del niño hospital in Panama. Period 2001-2008].

INTRODUCTION

Bordetella pertussis (whooping cough) is a worldwide public health problem. It is estimated that there are about 20 to 40 million cases with 200,000-400,000 deaths and is increasing in infants and adults.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An observational, retrospective study was made. We reviewed the epidemiologic surveillance notification forms from 2001 to 2008 period at the Epidemiology Department of Hospital Del Niño, a tertiary paediatric reference centre in Panama City. All pertussis (whooping cough) cases confirmed by PCR and cultures were selected.

RESULTS

From a total of 759 notifications of suspected whooping cough cases, 180 confirmed cases using PCR and culture were analyzed for this study. The admission rate in all ages was 14.4/10,000 admissions, predominantly in < or =3 months with 42.76/10,000 admissions and which accounted for 75% of the cases. Cough was the most important symptom (91%). Cyanosis, leucocytosis and lymphocytosis were the most characteristic clinical findings when comparing positive pertussis with negative. More than two thirds of the subjects less than 3 months of age had not been vaccinated at the time of admission. The death rate was 8.3%, more than half of them in subjects less than 1 month of age.

CONCLUSIONS

Whooping cough is an important public health problem. Post-partum vaccination could be a strategy to reduce morbidity and mortality in infants less than 3 months of age.