Ventilatory support for children with whooping cough. Experience with children admitted to a paediatric intensive care unit.

Twenty-four patients with pertussis admitted to a paediatric Intensive Care Unit over a period of 42 months are reviewed. It is concluded that pertussis affects the young baby most severely, the majority of the children admitted were under the age of 3 months. Many required long term intubation and pulmonary supportive therapy and the percentage of those admitted to the Intensive Care Unit who have needed mechanical ventilation has steadily increased over the period reviewed from 25 to 71%. The youngest infant died from overwhelming respiratory infection. The other 23 patients recovered but three children developed neurological complications and their recovery is still being assessed. The importance of maintenance of the immunisation programme is stressed in view of the evidence of the severity of the disease in the very young infant.