[Chickenpox prevention in patients at risk with a special immunoglobulin]

Chickenpox, which normally is an innocuous disease in children, may cause serious sequelae in immunocompromised hosts. An open prospective study is presented, that comprised 96 of such patients. They were treated with 0,2 ml/kg Varicella-Zoster-Immunoglobulin (VZIG) prophylactically or after exposure. The immunoglobulin was given in between 72 hours after known contact, newborns received the injection at the day of delivery. After that the patients were followed for six weeks for documentation and assessment of protection. In 85 (88,5%) cases there was no manifestation of varicella. 10 patients showed mild forms of the disease; 3 of these had got the preparation within the recommended time gap of 72 hours after exposure. One child died from varicella pneumonia and haemorrhage. In this case the preparation had only been given 10 days after contact.