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[Complications of varicella in children]
M Riaza Gómez1, M de la Torre Espí, S Mencía Bartolomé
1Servicio de Urgencias, Hospital del Niño Jesús, Madrid.
Insights
Varicella complications led to 84 hospitalizations in children, with skin infections being most common. A varicella vaccine program could prevent these complications and reduce healthcare costs.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Context:
- Varicella (chickenpox) is often considered a benign childhood illness.
- Complications can lead to significant morbidity and healthcare utilization in children.
- Understanding complication patterns is crucial for public health strategies.
Purpose:
- To describe the types and frequency of varicella complications leading to hospitalization in children.
- To determine the associated hospitalization costs for these varicella complications.
Summary:
- A retrospective study analyzed 84 children hospitalized for varicella complications (excluding oncology patients).
- The most frequent complications were skin/soft tissue infections, followed by central nervous system and respiratory issues.
- Mean hospital stay was 7.7 days, with associated costs of 43,681,528 pesetas.
Impact:
- Varicella complications represent a notable burden of disease in pediatric populations.
- The findings support the implementation of varicella vaccination programs to prevent severe outcomes.
- Vaccination can reduce healthcare system costs associated with varicella-related hospitalizations.
Objective:
The purpose of this study was to describe varicella complications that result in the hospitalization of children in our hospital, as well as the associated cost.
Patients And Methods:
A retrospective study involving 84 children hospitalized for complications due to varicella between January 1993 and December 1997 was carried out. Oncology patients were excluded. Data about age, sex, previous health conditions, complications developed, days of admission and treatments, amongst others, was collected and descriptive statistics performed. We also estimated the costs of hospitalization.
Results:
We identified 84 children hospitalized for complications of varicella, which represents 2.67% of the total cases of varicella attended in the Emergency Room (3,135). Of these children, 72.6% were healthy before the onset of varicella. The mean age was 3.3 +/- 2.6 years. Skin or soft tissue infections were the most common complication, with all of the cases occurring in children under 5 years of age. Central nervous system complications were found in 19.27%, with involvement of the cerebellum accounting for the majority of the cases of encephalitis. Bilateral facial palsy was observed in one patient. Respiratory complications (14.45%) included pneumonia, bronchitis and croup. Other types of complications, such as gastrointestinal (9.63%), musculo-skeletal (4.76%) and hematological were less frequent. The mean hospital stay was 7.7 +/- 4.8 days. The cost associated with the admission of these children was 43,681,528 pesetas.
Conclusions:
Varicella complications represent an important morbidity for a disease that has long been considered benign and inevitable in children. The implementation of a varicella vaccine program for healthy children would be beneficial for the prevention of complications and the reduction in their associated cost to the health care system.