Hospital admissions due to varicella in a tertiary hospital

Introduction: Varicella (chickenpox) can cause serious complications and admission to hospital. Several countries included the varicella vaccine in their immunization schedules. Material and methods: A descriptive and retrospective study of hospitalizations due to varicella and its complications was conducted in a referral center from 2005 to 2011. Results: A total of 1192 children with varicella were seen in the emergency room, of which 99 (8.5%) required admission. The annual incidence of admissions due to varicella and varicella complications was, 19.4 and 15.3 cases per 100,000 children under 14 years, respectively. Complications were more common in children under 5 years (79.5%), and with no underlying disease (78.2%). Infection of skin and soft tissue was the most common complication (62%). The mean hospital stay was 4.5 days (SD 4). Conclusions: Varicella causes high morbidity, and is more frequent in absolute terms in healthy children under 5 years of age. Therefore, routine vaccination recommended by the Immunization Advisory Committee should be mandatory. (c) 2013 Asociacion Espanola de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L. All rights reserved.