PERTUSSIS DEATHS IN INFANTS ADMITTED TO A PEDIATRIC INTENSIVE CARE UNIT (PICU) IN COSTA RICA Raquel Boza, MD1; Rolando Ulloa-Gutierrez, MD2; Karla Garita, MD3; Ramón Rivera, MD1; Santiago Ramírez MD1; Víctor Pérez-Herra, MD1; Rocío Porras, MD1; Aristides Baltodano, MD1 Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos Pediátricos,1 Servicio de Infectolología,2 Universidad de Costa Rica.3 Hospital Nacional de Niños “Dr. Carlos Sáenz Herrera”. San José, Costa Rica
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION Pertussis (P), one of the oldest vaccine-preventable diseases, has not been well controlled despite good pediatric vaccination coverages in both developed and developing countries. The main reason for this problem are adolescents and adults being the main source of infection for young infants. The morbidity and mortality is higher in infants too young to be fully vaccinated, and most complications and deaths occur in infants 30,000/mm3, and developing PHT were common findings.
Although expensive, universal Tdap vaccination to adolescents and adults in Costa Rica should be pursued.
