Some thoughts on the diagnosis of severe pertussis in infants / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

ABSTRACT

In recent years, although great progress has been made in the etiology diagnosis of pertussis, the treatment is unsatisfactory.In particularly, the diagnosis and treatment of severe pertussis urgently need standardization.To date, no diagnostic guidelines for severe pertussis have been published.There are many differences in diagnostic terms, definitions, or diagnostic criteria for severe pertussis in published reports, and it is also difficult to evaluate the efficacy difference among therapeutic strategies for pertussis.This article aims to provide several personal opinions on the diagnosis of severe pertussis, including infant pertussis screening, risk assessment of severe illness and death, severity assessment, and diagnosis, thus highlighting the clinical concern of severe pertussis in infants.