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Hospitalization for varicella in central Israel
Author(s) -
Maharshak N,
Somekh E
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1999.tb01032.x
Subject(s) - medicine , chickenpox , complication , pediatrics , medical record , retrospective cohort study , pneumonia , surgery , mortality rate , population , liver transplantation , transplantation , virus , environmental health , virology
In order to determine the impact of chickenpox on the general population, we conducted a retrospective study in four medical centres in central Israel. Hospital records of 182 patients discharged with the diagnosis of varicella during a 3‐y period were reviewed. The patients' mean age was 7.9 y. A total of 14 patients (8%) were immunocompromised. Bacterial skin or soft tissue infection was the most common complication (32%). Other complications included gastrointestinal manifestations (14%), pneumonia (12%), febrile seizures (10%) and CNS complications (9%). Twenty‐one percent of patients were discharged with the diagnosis of uncomplicated varicella. One patient died, one underwent liver transplantation for liver failure and four had persistent neurological sequelae. Forty‐four patients (24%) received acyclovir for an average duration of 5.7 d. The mean hospital stay was 4.3 d; it was significantly longer for patients with CNS complications (8 d). We estimate that the hospitalization rate in Israel is 1/285 cases of chickenpox. While mortality from varicella was found to be relatively rare, the economic burden of this infection in Israel is quite substantial.