High admission rate of infants and young children with whooping cough: clinical aspects and preventive implications.

Eighty-five children hospitalized with clinical whooping cough over an 8 month period were studied. Of the 53 cultured for Bordetella pertussis, 29 (55%) were culture positive. There was a preponderance of young infants who required a long hospitalization (35% were less than 3 months of age). Many of these children had apnoeic attacks requiring active intervention. Pulmonary atelectasis-consolidation was found in 46% in spite of negative viral and bacterial studies. Over-crowding and poor socioeconomic status was noted frequently in those hospitalized. This group makes the least use of child health services, and has the lowest rate of immunizations.