A 22-day-old newborn baby with whooping cough and severe complications from the disease was saved after a round-the-clock fight for his life and a three-week treatment in a capital hospital.
The newborn baby is admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of the "Tokuda" hospital. with a runny nose, cough, fever and rapid heartbeat. The X-ray showed evidence of lobar pneumonia with inflammatory activity.
Due to negative serology for the baby's usual infections, a PCR test for pertussis was done, which was positive. Neonatologists promptly start targeted treatment for the pertussis infection.
The inclusion of additional antibiotics and medications is necessary because of the increased inflammatory activity during the stay and extremely elevated values of leukocytes up to a leukemoid reaction, the doctors explain.
The child needs breathing support and oxygen therapy. Despite intensive treatment, he developed multiple organ failure affecting the lung and heart function.
„After three weeks of treatment, during which we were able to control the respiratory and heart failure, as well as the inflammatory activity, the child was discharged home with inhaler treatment and recommendations for follow-up,” said Dr. Radka Maslarska, head of the Department of Neonatology.
Given the extremely severe course of the disease in babies, she advised pregnant women to immunize themselves against whooping cough between the 27th and 36th weeks of pregnancy.