PREDICTORS OF CLINICO-EPIDEMIOLOGICAL WHOOPING COUGH DIAGNOSIS IN CHILDREN

Aim. To develop the modern predictors of clinico-epidemiological diagnosis of whooping cough in children. Materials and methods. The retrospective study included 56 children aged 2 months to 6 years, who were hospitalized for whooping cough infection. Diagnostic verification was carried out by means of a double bacteriological study of fauces mucosa as well as serological study of blood serum in dynamics of the disease. Standard study included general blood and urine analyses, biochemical blood analysis, epidemiological anamnesis and clinical examination. To assess the significance of diagnostic predictors, analytical (optimal quantization) and statistical (Pirson criterion) methods were used. Results. Diagnosis of whooping cough was found to be verified using laboratory methods in 59,0 % (33/56) of children: bacteriological method - in 12,1 %, serological - in 87,9 %. Statistically significant clinico-epidemiological predictors of whooping cough infection were determined without laboratory confirmation of diagnosis in 23 (41 %) children. Conclusions. In case of typical clinical picture of whooping cough and negative results of bacteriological/serological study, it was suggested to use the following predictors as additional diagnostic criteria: absence of whooping cough vaccination, age - under 1 year, marked leucosis (Le > 15·109) of lymphocytic character with normal ESR and contact with protractedly coughing persons.

Whooping cough, children of early age, diagnostic predictors, binary classifier