To investigate the present diagnostic ability situation of pertussis among clinicians in Zhejiang Province.

A total of 150 clinicians from 16 medical institutions in 6 cities of Zhejiang province were selected by stratified systematic random sampling method. The diagnosis status of clinicians including the accuracy rates of epidemiological characteristics, clinical symptoms, diagnostic criteria by clinicians and causes of misdiagnosis were investigated by interviews and questionnaires.

The proportion of clinicians who consider themselves mastery the clinical symptoms, had ever met pertussis case before, had diagnosed pertussis and delivered report cards were 93.33%, 52.67%, 38.00% and 24.67%, respectively. The correct rates for clinicians to answer the epidemiological characteristics of pertussis such as source of infection, isolation time and susceptible population were 35.33%, 50.00% and 58.67%, respectively. The accuracy rates for paroxysmal and spasmodic cough, ≥2-week continuous cough were high (88.67% and 80.67%). However, the accuracy rates for bradycardia, cyanosis, asphyxia, apnea, paroxysmal cough were low with the range of 6.67% to 42.67%. The accuracy rate of following diagnostic standards for clinical and confirmed cases was 34.67% and 33.33%, respectively. The top three reasons for pertussis misdiagnosis were "the hospital lacks the laboratory diagnostic ability of pertussis" "cases especially in adolescents and adults are not typical" and "clinicians lack the awareness of pertussis" .

The epidemic situation of pertussis may be underestimated due to the lack of pertussis awareness, inaccurate mastery of diagnostic criteria and inadequate laboratory diagnostic ability of clinicians in Zhejiang Province.

Whooping cough; Clinical symptom; Diagnostic criteria; Laboratory detection; Medical institution