title: Epidemiology of hospital admissions for paediatric varicella infections: a one-year prospective survey in the pre-vaccine era.
abstract: To evaluate the epidemiology of hospital admissions for varicella in children, a 1-year prospective multicentre study was done in Northern France in the pre-varicella vaccine era. The 405 children aged <16 years seen at local hospitals for varicella or herpes zoster were included. Among them, 143 who had varicella and resided in the district were admitted. Admission incidence rates were 28/100000 children aged <16 years (149/100000 infants aged <1 year, 69/100000 children aged 1-4 years, and 2/100000 children aged 5-15 years). Most admissions (57%) were related to complications, usually skin infection (47%). Independent risk factors for admission were place of residence outside the district [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 8.7], complication at admission (aOR 5.8), recurrent fever (aOR 4.5), recent varicella in a sibling (aOR 4.0), and previous physician visit for the same condition (aOR 2.0).
authors.affiliation: Paediatric Emergency Department, Jeanne de Flandre University Hospital, Lille, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dubos
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Grandbastien
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hue
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martinot
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000453:epidemiology; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors; D014611:Vaccination