ADC

HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS REGISTER
[Advanced]

Published Online First: 8 November 2007. doi:10.1136/adc.2007.123232
Archives of Disease in Childhood 2007;92:1062-1066
Copyright © 2007 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd & Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
adc.2007.123232v1
92/12/1062    most recent
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this link to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in ADC Online
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Add article to my folders
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Cameron, J C
Right arrow Articles by Booy, R
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Cameron, J C
Right arrow Articles by Booy, R
Topic Collections
Right arrow Editor's choice
Right arrowRelevant Article

Original articles

Severe complications of chickenpox in hospitalised children in the UK and Ireland

J C Cameron1, G Allan1, F Johnston1, A Finn2, P T Heath3, R Booy4

1 Health Protection Scotland, Glasgow, UK
2 Department of Clinical Science at South Bristol, Unit of Child Health, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
3 Division of Child Health and Vaccine Institute, St George’s, University of London, London, UK
4 National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia

Correspondence to:
Dr J Claire Cameron, Health Protection Scotland, Glasgow G3 7LN, Scotland, UK; claire.cameron{at}hps.scot.nhs.uk

Aims: To estimate the annual incidence of hospitalisations due to severe complications of varicella, describe the complications and estimate annual mortality.

Methods: Active surveillance throughout the UK and Ireland for 13 months by paediatricians notifying cases to the British Paediatric Surveillance Unit and completing a questionnaire. The case definition was any child aged <16 years hospitalised with complicated varicella, as defined by a list of conditions, or admitted to ICU/HDU with varicella.

Results: 188 cases were notified for the surveillance period, of which 112 (0.82/100 000 children/year) met the case definition and were not duplicates. Confirmed cases had a median age of 3 years (range 0–14). The complications were: bacteraemia/septic shock (n = 30), pneumonia (n = 30), encephalitis (n = 26), ataxia (n = 25), toxic shock syndrome/toxin-mediated disease (n = 14), necrotising fasciitis (n = 7), purpura fulminans/disseminated coagulopathy (n = 5), fulminant varicella (n = 5) and neonatal varicella (n = 3). 52 children (46%) had additional bacterial infections. Six deaths were due, or possibly due, to varicella, including one intrauterine death. Four of the other five children who died (ages 2–14 years) had a pre-existing medical condition. Sequelae on discharge were reported for 41 cases (40%), most frequently ataxia or skin scarring. The median length of hospital stay was 7 days (range 1–68).

Conclusions: This study provides a minimum estimate of severe complications and death resulting from varicella in children in the UK and Ireland. Most complications, excluding deaths, occur in otherwise healthy children and thus would be preventable only through a universal childhood immunisation programme.



Relevant Article

Should the UK introduce varicella vaccine?
Marion Roderick, Athimalaipet V Ramanan, and Adam Finn
Arch. Dis. Child. 2007 92: 1051-1052. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]



This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
Arch. Dis. Child.Home page
A Knorr, E Hutchison, and A Finn
Varicella vaccination for HIV-infected children
Arch. Dis. Child., September 1, 2008; 93(9): 812 - 812.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Arch. Dis. Child.Home page
F M de Benedictis and P Osimani
Necrotising fasciitis complicating varicella
Arch. Dis. Child., July 1, 2008; 93(7): 619 - 619.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Arch. Dis. Child.Home page
Should the UK introduce varicella vaccine?
Arch. Dis. Child., December 1, 2007; 92(12): 1051 - 1052.





HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS REGISTER
ARCH DIS CHILD FETAL NEONATAL ED ED PRACTICE
Terms and conditions relating to subscriptions purchased online  ¦  Website terms and conditions  ¦  Privacy policy
Copyright © 2007 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd & Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health