An Investigation into Certain Aspects of Pertussis

Abstract

The primary object of the present study, which was carried out at the Victoria Hospital for Children, Chelsea, was to investigate the incidence and course of the pulmonary complications which persist for more than two months after the onset of pertussis, and to determine whether these effects of whooping cough on the lung could be avoided. Pertussis is most dangerous in early life and we restricted our enquiry to children under the age of 4 years. An attempt was made to see each child approximately three months after the onset of the illness, for we considered that those patients who were likely to develop bronchiectasis would be found amongst those whose radiographs still showed pulmonary collapse at this stage.During the course of the investigation we were able to study the probable source of infection in our patients and also the spread of the disease to susceptible children in their household. PrmcedueOur patients were those who had been notified as suffering from this infection in Chelsea, Fulham and South Kensington during the period January 1 to December 31, 1951. A letter giving a brief explanation of the project was sent to the medical practitioner who had notified the case. If he agreed to the child attending the hospital for a medical examination he was asked to forward a card to the parents which gave an appointment for the visit. Some of the patients were referred by practitioners as cases of suspected pulmonary collapse before our request was received.At the first interview the history was recorded and the child examined. A chest radiograph in the antero-posterior plane was taken and a tuberculin jelly test with control was applied to the back. The mother was asked to come again with her child a week later, and if the radiograph showed any abnormality further films were then taken. The medical practitioner was notified of the results of the examination, and patients requiring further attention were observed until recovery was complete.