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Chickenpox - complications

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Chickenpox - complications

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Visit to the paediatrician

Chickenpox is usually a relatively mild disease, but various complications, including life-threatening complications, are possible during its course.

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Chickenpox - Symptoms and course

Children with immune deficiencies, especially those receiving immunosuppressive treatment for cancer or other chronic diseases, are particularly at risk of chickenpox complications. However, it should be emphasised that serious complications of smallpox can occur even in a previously completely healthy child with no risk factors.

Possible complications of smallpox include:

  • Extensive skin lesions with purulent local complications - infection of the skin with staphylococcal strains, threatening generalisation of the staphylococcal infection (septicaemia).
  • Smallpox cerebroencephalitis - a complication that looks very worrying, manifesting itself in an increased disturbance of equilibrium to the point of complete inability to get out of bed. Fortunately, this complication does not leave permanent consequences and resolves spontaneously.
  • Pneumonia, arthritis, interstitial nephritis - complications rare but potentially dangerous.
  • Ophthalmic manifestations - smallpox lesions may develop on the skin of the eyelids and in the conjunctiva. Occasionally they also develop on the cornea leading to keratitis with scarring changes in the iris. This requires specialist ophthalmic treatment as it risks permanent consequences.
  • Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)syndrome - infection with the smallpox virus can in some cases trigger a cascade of inflammatory reactions leading to severe shock with multiple organ failure. This is a life-threatening condition.
  • Thromboembolic complications, including ischaemic strokes. Smallpox increases the predisposition to thrombotic lesions. Cases of cerebral artery emboli leading to severe neurological symptoms have been described in the course of this infection. The writer of these words has seen with his own eyes a severe stroke in the course of chickenpox in a several-month-old infant - which unfortunately ended in the child's death.

When to go to the doctor and cure

If you know that your child has a primary or secondary immune deficiency and has come into contact with a person with chickenpox (or is beginning to have the typical symptoms of chickenpox) - contact your doctor as soon as possible. After contact with smallpox, it is possible to immunise the child with vaccine or immunoglobulin. If the illness has already started there is the possibility of administering an antiviral drug (acyclovir) to significantly reduce the course of the illness.

Acyclovir can also be given during the incubation period - this prevents the development of a full-blown illness and significantly reduces the course of the disease. Do not hesitate to visit your doctor if you experience an unexpected deterioration in your health during the course of smallpox (weakness, disturbance of consciousness, imbalance, shortness of breath, unusual skin changes, etc.)

Chickenpox - Treatment

In cases of complications there is no home treatment. Medical advice must be followed.