Affiliations: Department of Pediatric Infectious Disease, Hurley
Medical Center, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Flint, MI,
USA
Note: [] Correspondence: Walid Abuhammour, MD, FAAP, Hurley Medical
Center, Pediatric Education 3W, One Hurley Plaza, Flint, MI 48503-5993, USA.
E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Over the past two decades, reports of pertussis have increased
considerably in the United States of America (USA) in people of all ages. The
most striking increases have taken place among adolescents and adults. The aim
of this study is to evaluate pertussis awareness among internists and family
practice physicians in the state of Michigan in the USA. This study consists of
a survey of internists and family practice physicians in the state of
Michigan. The survey instrument is a questionnaire containing one clinical
vignette that presents an adult who has prolonged afebrile cough and normal
physical examination, followed by three multiple-choice questions. The first
question was about the differential diagnosis; pertussis was included among the
choices in this question. The other two questions were about antibiotic
prescribing for the patient as well as the family members. Out of 500
physicians, 148 (30%) responded to our survey. Fifty-five physicians
(37.2%) included pertussis among their differential diagnosis. Only seven
(4.7%) selected pertussis as a single diagnosis. Among the physicians who
selected pertussis, 49 (89%) prescribed antibiotics to the patient and
forty-seven (85%) prescribed antibiotics to the family members. This study
demonstrates that two out of three (or 63%) of internists and family
practice physicians in the state of Michigan in the USA who responded to our
survey overlooked the diagnosis of pertussis in adults. Though the number of
the physicians who responded to this survey was relatively small, still it is
an important finding and it merits more studies to shed the light on this
imperative issue. It is important for the clinicians who treat adults to be
aware of the resurgence of pertussis, to be familiar with its diagnosis and
treatment, and to understand the options for prevention.
Keywords: Pertussis awareness, internists, family practice physicians
