 |
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Frequent questions | |
|
He asks the doctor | |
 |
Beginning | |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
CHICKEN POX | |
||
|
|
 DEFINITION INCIDENCE SYMPTOMS BROADCAST: TIMES? COMPLICATIONS TREATMENT PREVENTION TO SEE TO CONSULT |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
|
It is a contagious illness caused by the virus of the chicken pox - zóster (VVZ), the same responsible virus in the adults of the zóster herpes or area. The chicken pox is, at present, the infection exantemática more frequent. The primoinfección is more frequent in the first 10 years of the life and the revival, in the shape of zoster herpes or area, it usually appears in the persons older than 65 years. Only 10 % of the persons older than 15 years is capable to the virus chicken pox - zoster The VVZ infects small children, with maximum incidence between the 2 and 8 years of age. Epidemics are seen in cycles of 3-4 years, especially from January until May. The adults only can infect if they have not had earlier the chicken pox. The incubation period (without symptoms) is of approximately two weeks. The initial symptoms include sudden fever and asthenia (sensation of feeling tired and weak). These follow of an eruption of vesicles (exanthema) that begin in the body and in the face, and that keep on sprouting for three or four days, spreading over the whole body, and evolving to the drying with formation of a crust before falling down. The chicken pox is transmitted by the direct contact with the eruption of the chicken pox before forming the crust, since the liquid of the vesicles contains high concentrations of the virus. Also it is transmitted across the air by respiratory secretions of an infected person. The most contagious period is one day or two before the eruption appears, and five days after the appearance of the vesicles. How many times in the life is it possible to have chicken pox? One. The chicken pox gives place generally to immunity of for life. Nevertheless, the virus can be still secret in the organism, and repeat itself years further on like zóster herpes or area, a type of eruption vesicular painful that happens in adults, and sometimes even in children. The infectious complications are the most frequent. The most usual is the bacterial sobreinfección of the injuries, caused by the S. aureus and S. pyogenes. Other infectious complications are less common. Also there appears often the hepatitis caused by the proper virus of the chicken pox, although rarely it gives symptoms, and only it is detected for analytical. The neurological complications are the most frequent second cause of internment when it is a question of healthy children, especially 20-year-old 5-year-old and major minors. The pneumonia produced by chicken pox appears with major frequency in adults and guests inmunocomprometidos. The persons inmunodeprimidas, that is to say, with the weak immune systems or that are taking medicines that suppress his immune system (chemotherapy of the cancer, corticoids to high dose of a chronic way, etc) are in high risk of developing severe forms of chicken pox, with pneumonia and other complications. If a woman acquires chicken pox during the pregnancy, a risk can exist for the baby. Anyway the children, in general, usually do not present serious complications. In healthy children, the chicken pox is a light illness and the treatment goes to reduce the itch and the discomfort. The children with chicken pox must not receive aspirin due to the possibility of causing a very rare complication called syndrome of Reye. Nevertheless, sometimes the treatment can be necessary with Aciclovir, when the rash is administered in the first 24 hours of initiated, since it diminishes the time of appearance of new injuries, the entire number of the same ones, the duration of the fever and the number of injuries hipopigmentadas. Although all the children with chicken pox can be treated by Aciclovir, the American Academy of Paediatrics suggests to treat preferably those who present a major risk of acquiring severe chicken pox or of developing a complication, (and it does not recommend to treat all of them, since it is not necessary to forget that any treatment can present unwanted effects):
The newborn babies whose mother has had chicken pox during five days I preset off and two days I postset off they must receive aciclovir endovenoso if they acquire chicken pox, due to the high valuation of morbidity and registered mortality. For guests inmunocomprometidos and cases with visceral complications, the intravenous route is preferred. Every person older than 12 years with chicken pox must receive aciclovir, due to the biggest valuation of complications, visceral dissemination and incidence of mortality. The pregnant women also must be treated, since they have major risk of visceral dissemination during all the time of his pregnancy. The children with chicken pox must remain at home for five days after the beginning of the eruption of the chicken pox or until the injuries turn into crusts. The precautions must make a special effort of avoiding the contact with chicken pox in persons inmunodeprimidas. Also, they can and must use vaccines antichicken pox in the niñós and persons of risk. It is possible to apply antibody antichicken pox postexhibition, in 96 hours of the contact, although the maximum effect is obtained if it is administered in the first 48 hours of the exhibition. Also it is possible to vaccinate after there has been a risk contact; the vaccine against the chicken pox is between 90 and 100 % effective to prepare the chicken pox if it is administered in 72 hours of the contact with chicken pox or zoster. Based on these studies, the American Academy of Paediatrics recommends the application of the vaccine to capable children, in 72 hours postexhibition. The doctors must warn to the parents and patients that the administration of the vaccine cannot offer entire protection, and that the children can go so far as to develop the illness. Finally, also it has been demonstrated that the aciclovir is effective in the prophylaxis of the chicken pox when it is administered to capable patients during the second half of the period of incubation (from the 7th to 14 after the exhibition. |
|
|
|
DEFINITION |
|
|
|
|
