Malignant pertussis refers to the most severe form of the infection, with a mortality rate up to 75%.
Synonym: fulminant pertussis
Risk factors:
(1) no or partial immunity
(2) defective host defensive
(3) bacterial strain
Clinical features:
(1) rapidly progressive pneumonia
(2) respiratory failure requiring intubation and mechanical ventilation
(3) neurological involvement including seizures
(4) exhaustion
(5) severe pulmonary hypertension
Laboratory features:
(1) severe leukocytosis, with a WBC > 100,000 per µL a predictor of death
(2) severe oxygen desaturation
(3) elevated C-reactive protein (CRP)
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Specialty: Infectious Diseases, Pedatrics, Pulmonology
