Varicella Admissions in Children and Adolescents in Portugal: 2000?2015

Autores da FMUP

• José Alberto Da Silva Freitas

  Autor

• Maria Inês Ferreira Agueda De Azevedo

  Autor

Participantes de fora da FMUP

• Fontoura Matias, J.
• Moreira, RS
• Alves, A.

Unidades de investigação

• Ginecologia-Obstetrícia e Pediatria

• Laboratório Associado RISE- Rede de Investigação em Saúde

  

  Investigador

  Fernando Carlos De Landér Schmitt

• Medicina da Comunidade, Informação e Decisão em Saúde

• RISE-Health

  

  Investigador

  Fernando Carlos De Landér Schmitt

Abstract

<jats:sec> <jats:title>OBJECTIVES</jats:title> <jats:p>Varicella is a common, usually benign, and autolimited disease in children but can lead to severe complications and hospitalization. With this study, we aim to analyze all varicella hospitalizations to provide epidemiological information to help outline preventive policies.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>METHODS</jats:title> <jats:p>We assessed all varicella hospitalizations in children aged 0 to 17 years, from 2000 to 2015, in mainland, public Portuguese hospitals using a Portuguese administrative database. Seasonality, geographic distribution, severity, complications, risk factors, use of diagnostic and treatment procedures and hospitalization costs were analyzed.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>RESULTS</jats:title> <jats:p>A total of 5120 hospitalizations were registered, with an annual rate of 17.3 hospitalizations per 100?000 inhabitants. A higher number of hospitalizations occurred during the summer period and in Southern regions. The median length of stay was of 4 days (interquartile range: 3.0?7.0). We found a high rate of severe complications, mostly dermatologic (19.6%), neurologic (6.0%), and respiratory (5.1%). Of the total number of patients, 0.8% were immunocompromised and 0.1% were pregnant. Total direct hospitalization costs during the 16-year period were estimated to be 7?110?719? (8?603?970 USD), with a mean annual cost of 444?419.92? (537?748.10 USD).</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>CONCULSIONS</jats:title> <jats:p>This is the first national study in which useful epidemiological data to evaluate the burden and impact of varicella in Portugal is provided.</jats:p> </jats:sec>

Keywords

• antibiotic agent; abscess; adolescent; adult respiratory distress syndrome; age distribution; Article; artificial ventilation; cellulitis; cerebellar ataxia; chickenpox; child; computer assisted tomography; diagnosis related group; disease severity; encephalitis; febrile convulsion; female; gastroenteritis; geographic distribution; health care policy; hospital admission; hospital patient; hospitalization; hospitalization cost; human; hyponatremia; ICD-9-CM; impetigo; length of stay; major clinical study; mastoiditis; meningitis; mortality; myelitis; necrotizing fasciitis; neurologic disease; neurological complication; neutropenia; newborn; noninvasive ventilation; osteomyelitis; pneumonia; Portugal; pregnant woman; public hospital; reimbursement; retrospective study; risk factor; seasonal variation; sepsis; thorax radiography; thrombocytopenia; tonsillitis