How frequent is varicella-associated pneumonia in children?
- 16 November 2010
- journal article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases
- Vol. 30 (3), 435-437
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-010-1106-9
Abstract
Varicella is a frequent though mild infection in children, but it can cause important morbidity in adults. The most frequent complication in adults is varicella pneumonia. However, lower airway complications associated to varicella have been scarcely studied in children. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of the children hospitalized for varicella-associated pneumonia in the three public hospitals on the Island of Mallorca. We discovered that 17/213 (8%) children hospitalized for varicella were diagnosed of pneumonia. The rate of hospitalization for varicella complication due to pneumonia was 4.3 cases per 10,000 varicella infections. Only one patient was diagnosed of varicella pneumonia, which accounts for 0.3 cases per 10,000 varicella infections. Nine of 17 (53%) cases were classified as bacterial pneumonia. Statistical differences (p < 0.05) in the median time from rash (5.9 vs. 2.4 days) and fever (4.1 vs. 2.2 days) to admission were observed between bacterial and viral pneumonia. However, outcome differences measured by the median length of stay, need for oxygen, and admission to the intensive care unit were not observed. Varicella pneumonia is a very rare complication of varicella in children. Most of the lower airway infections in the course of varicella are associated to other co-infections.Keywords
This publication has 14 references indexed in Scilit:
- RISK OF VARICELLA COMPLICATIONS IN CHILDREN TREATED WITH INHALED STEROIDSThe Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 2008
- Validity of the quick-read C-reactive protein test in the prediction of bacterial pneumonia in the pediatric emergency departmentEuropean Journal of Emergency Medicine, 2008
- Utilidad de la radiografía de tórax en niños como aproximación a la etiología de neumonía adquirida en la comunidadRevista chilena de infectología, 2008
- Development and validation of a clinical prediction rule to distinguish bacterial from viral pneumonia in childrenPediatric Pulmonology, 2006
- Hospitalizaciones por varicela en el Hospital Infantil La Fe (Valencia 2001-2004)Anales de Pediatría, 2005
- Hospitalizations for varicella in the United States, 1988 to 1999The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 2002
- Differentiation of bacterial and viral pneumonia in childrenThorax, 2002
- Severe Complications Associated with Varicella: Province of Quebec, April 1994 to March 1996Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2001
- Acyclovir in Varicella Pneumonia in Healthy AdultsRespiration, 1993
- Varicella pneumoniaArchives of Internal Medicine, 1988