Is leukocytosis a predictor of mortality in severe pertussis infection?

Abstract
Bordetella pertussis causing severe respiratory failure in infants that is unresponsive to treatment is well described. Pulmonary hypertension is a prominent feature of such cases. In this series of 13 critically ill infants with B. pertussis, hyperleukocytosis (>100×109/l) was an independent predictor of death. We suggest that such extreme leukocytosis may contribute to disease severity via the formation of aggregates in the pulmonary vasculature.

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