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
