Dr. Nayyar Raza Kazmi Community Pediatrics Project Department of Health, Government of NWFP
BACKGROUND
> 90% of population infected by 15 yrs attack rates 90% for household contacts morbidity
bacterial skin infections pneumonia encephalitis, post varicella cerebritis days from school/work hospitalizations (<1%)
BACKGROUND
risk of death:
lower for children than infants increases with age for adolescents/adults
30% for perinatally exposed infants 2/100,000 aged 1-14 2.7/100,000 aged 15-19 25.2/100,000 aged 30-49
STRATEGIES
Prevent infection?
infection control passive vaccination (VZIG) active vaccination (live attenuated)
Treat infection?
who to treat? what to treat with?
VARICELLA IN CHILDREN
Prevention Options -vaccination -school omission Treatment Options -symptomatic -antiviral medications
no contraindications
VARICELLA IN CHILDREN
Usually previously well children develop malaise and low grade fever which rises once the rash appears. The rash begins along the hairline on face as macules which progresses to tiny vesicles with surrounding erythema.(Dew drops on rose petal appearance) . Rash then appears in successive crops over the trunk and extremities. They heal in 7-10 days. Sometimes hemorrhage may occur within the vesicles which may be mistaken as Meningococcemia.
RCT of 102 and 815 children acyclovir (20mg/kg/dose) qid vs placebo lesions, fever, itching no change in complications or titers
* RCT Randomized Control Trial
ACYCLOVIR IN CHILDREN
no serious adverse drug reactions noted cost of medications needs to be considered!!!! ** acyclovir is not routinely recommended for the treatment of chickenpox in healthy children
VARICELLA IN PREGNANCY
pregnancy alters cellular immunity needed to fight viral infections pneumonitis mortality maternal complications in 2nd and 3rd trimester
premature labour/delivery, IUGR
VARICELLA IN PREGNANCY
VARICELLA IN FETUS
2.2% transmission to fetus (1.2%4.9%) (Pastuszak et al NEJM 1994) intrauterine infection more common in 1st trimester congenital infection
scarring, limb deformities, cataracts, CNS involvement, chorioretinitis
VARICELLA IN NEONATES
during maternal varicella 24% of fetuses get transplacentally infected critical times
is 5 days before to 2 days after birth neonates < 28 weeks gestation or <1000gm 1st month of life if mother non-immune and in NICU, immunedeficiency etc
VARICELLA IN NEONATES
Infant born at full term following uncomplicated delivery. Mother noticed to have varicella lesions 2 days prior to delivery with low grade fever. Infant is completely well with no skin lesions, no fever etc.
attack rate still 51% incubation period of 11 days attenuates infection (Miller et al. Lancet 1989 )
mortality rate (1-2%), lesions
no literature regarding the use of acyclovir for prevention of disease in this group
VARICELLA IN NEONATES
Perinatal Exposure
treat with acyclovir due to high mortality
no clinical trials to date however good studies with acyclovir in other neonatal infections