Chicken pox: symptoms, treatment and photos. How to treat chickenpox in children and adults. Treatment of chickenpox in children

Chickenpox is a highly contagious and common childhood infection. To understand how this disease is transmitted and how it differs from other viral diseases, every mother should learn more about the causative agent of chickenpox. What kind of virus is this, what is its resistance to the external environment and is it related to herpes viruses?

Chickenpox and herpes viruses - are they the same thing or not?

Chickenpox is caused by a virus called Varicella Zoster in both children and adults. Due to the fact that in adulthood this virus causes a disease called herpes zoster, some confusion arises. In fact, the occurrence of herpes on the lips or genitals is provoked by a completely different virus. It is called Herpes simplex or herpes simplex virus, which is of two types - 1 and 2. At the same time, the Varicella Zoster virus is a herpes virus type 3.

However, all these viruses can be called “relatives”, since both the herpes simplex virus and the Varicella Zoster virus are representatives of a large family of herpes viruses.

It turns out that herpes on the lips or genitals is caused by a virus similar to chickenpox in its structure, but it is a completely different pathogen.

Chickenpox virus and herpes virus have a visual difference

Herpes simplex viruses and the causative agent of chickenpox have a lot in common:

They are DNA-containing viruses, the structure of which consists of a core and a capsid (an envelope consisting of capsomeres).
The Herpes simplex virus enters the human body in the same ways as the chickenpox pathogen - mainly by airborne droplets and contact.
When entering the body of a vulnerable person, all herpes viruses attack the mucous membranes and skin, and then penetrate the nervous tissue, remaining in the body for many years.
Antiviral drugs that are effective against Herpes simplex also inhibit the Varicella Zoster virus, therefore they are used for severe chickenpox.
Both types of viruses can affect the formation of the fetus, causing serious pathologies and miscarriage.

Concerning distinctive features the causative agent of chickenpox, then, despite the same family, the virus of chickenpox and herpes zoster provokes acute infection, leaving behind lasting immunity. At the same time, the infection caused by Herpes simplex is chronic, and immunity to such a virus is not formed.

How long does it live in the human body and beyond?

Having penetrated the child's body once, the chickenpox pathogen remains in the human body for life. It remains in the nervous tissue in an inactive state and in 10-20% of adults over 45 years of age provokes the appearance of herpes zoster.

At the same time, the persistence of the Varicella Zoster virus outside the human body is very low. Its destruction in the air and indoors is facilitated by the rays of the sun, temperature changes, and disinfectant solutions. Because of this, the chickenpox pathogen can only stay in the open air for up to 10-15 minutes. That is why cases of transmission of such an infection through third parties and objects practically do not occur.

At the same time, the chickenpox virus is characterized by its rather high volatility - it can fly tens of meters from a sick person with particles of mucus. For this reason, residents of the same apartment building or children in the same apartment can become infected with chickenpox. kindergarten even from different groups.

If a sick child is in the same room with healthy ones, only 5-10 minutes are enough for the virus to be transmitted to susceptible children, especially those with weakened immune systems.

The chickenpox virus is transmitted quite quickly by airborne droplets, but being in the open air, without contact with humans, also quickly dies

How to distinguish chickenpox from enterovirus infection

Majority viral infections It begins the same way with an increase in body temperature and other symptoms of malaise. Therefore, it is quite difficult to distinguish them from each other at first.

In addition, enterovirus infection has the following similarities with chickenpox:

Children aged 3-10 years are most often affected.
In the first 6 months, babies are protected by their mother’s antibodies.
The pathogen enters through the mouth and upper respiratory tract.
The body temperature of a sick child rises.
Children experience weakness, headaches, drowsiness, and vomiting.
Possible damage to the mucous membranes of the eyes.
Meet congenital forms if the mother became infected during pregnancy.
Such infections are treated mainly at home, and hospitalized in case of complications.
Children are isolated during illness.

For an accurate diagnosis, you should consult a specialist

The main differences between the causative agents of these infections and the course of the diseases are presented in the table:

Chicken pox	Enterovirus infection
Caused by a DNA virus of the herpes virus group.	Caused by RNA viruses - polioviruses, Coxsackie viruses and ECHO viruses.
The virus quickly dies during disinfection and remains outside the human body for only 10-15 minutes.	Viruses are resistant to conventional disinfectants and can remain outside the human body for a long time.
The disease is transmitted mainly by airborne droplets.	In addition to airborne transmission, there is also entero-oral transmission and waterborne transmission.
The source of the disease is only a child with chickenpox.	Pathogens can also be transmitted from healthy people(virus carriers).
The incubation period averages 14 days (can last from 7 to 21 days).	The average incubation period is 2-5 days (can last from 1 to 10 days).
The most characteristic clinical manifestations are a blistering rash and high body temperature.	The clinical picture of such an infection is often nonspecific and is represented by fever, as well as inflammation of the upper respiratory tract. Some children may develop a pink maculopapular rash that lasts for several days and disappears without a trace.
In most children, the infection is mild.	A large number of erased forms are noted.
Once the infection has been transmitted, it forms a strong immunity (they rarely get sick again).	Immunity after illness is serospecific (only to the type of virus that caused the infection).
There is a vaccine that is widely used to protect against chickenpox throughout the world.	There is no vaccine because pathogens come in many serotypes.

Chicken pox under the age of 10 years is tolerated quite easily and after the illness forms a strong immunity to this infection

Enterovirus can manifest itself repeatedly and at any age, occurring in mild or severe form.

For more information about chickenpox and herpes, see Dr. Komarovsky’s program.

For information about the differences between chickenpox and herpes zoster, which is expressed in the form of rashes along the intercostal nerves, see the program “Live Healthy.”

Chicken pox, well known to everyone under the name chickenpox, belongs to a group of highly contagious infectious diseases and primarily affects children under the age of 12 years. Relapses of the disease are unlikely, since upon initial contact with its pathogen, the body produces antibodies that circulate in the blood throughout life. In most cases, specific antiviral treatment for chickenpox in a child is not required. All therapeutic measures taken are aimed only at alleviating the patient’s condition and preventing complications.

Content:

The causative agent of the disease

The causative agent of chickenpox is the Varicella zoster virus, which belongs to the Herpesviridae (herpes) family. It is unstable in environmental conditions and outside the human body is able to exist for only about 10 minutes, as it dies under the influence of high temperature, light and ultraviolet rays. Despite this, the chickenpox virus is very easily transmitted from one person to another, which is due to its ability to quickly move with air currents for hundreds of meters. The probability of chickenpox occurring in people who have not had it before and have not been vaccinated is 100%.

After chickenpox, the virus remains in an inactive form in the human body for life, localizing in the spinal ganglia and cranial nerves associated with the areas of the skin that were most affected during the initial infection. With a significant weakening of the immune system, cancer, nervous stress, blood diseases and other unfavorable factors in people of mature age, it can become active again, causing herpes zoster (shingles).

Routes of infection

From sick children to healthy children, chickenpox is transmitted only by airborne droplets. The virus enters the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract, oral cavity and eyes during a conversation, when coughing, sneezing, kissing. The source of infection is people who have chickenpox or herpes zoster, approximately 1-2 days before the characteristic rash appears on the skin and another 5 days after the last rash appears. The disease is also transmitted through the placenta from an expectant mother suffering from chickenpox or herpes zoster to the fetus.

Children attending kindergartens and primary schoolchildren who are constantly in a group are at increased risk of contracting chickenpox. Most often, cases of chickenpox in kindergartens and schools are recorded in late autumn, winter and early spring.

Important: For babies under 6 months of age, whose mothers had chickenpox in childhood, the virus, as a rule, does not pose a danger, since antibodies to it, betrayed by the mother through the placenta, still remain in their blood. After chickenpox, 97% of people develop lifelong immunity, so reinfection is rare.

Video: E. Malysheva about chickenpox in children. How to recognize and alleviate the condition

Incubation period

Chickenpox is characterized by a long incubation period. After contact with a source of infection, 7 to 21 days (usually 14 days) pass before clinical signs characteristic of this disease appear.

Once in the body, the chickenpox virus first fixes on the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract, begins to adapt and multiply. During the incubation period, there are no signs of the disease, the child is not contagious to others. When the virus accumulates in sufficient volume, it overcomes the local immunity of the mucous membranes and begins to penetrate the blood.

When a certain concentration of viral particles is reached in the blood, a response is triggered immune system, which may be accompanied by a rise in body temperature, headache, and weakness. This condition lasts 1-2 days and is called the prodromal period, after which skin rashes characteristic of this disease appear. In children, the symptoms of chickenpox during this period are often mild or absent altogether.

Chickenpox symptoms

The clinical picture of chickenpox, which occurs after the incubation period of the virus, is characterized by a sharp and rapid development. At first, children may experience:

weakness, drowsiness;
increase in body temperature to approximately 38-40°C;
moodiness, irritability;
headache.

Subsequently or simultaneously with the listed symptoms, a rash appears. Sometimes there is an increase in size lymph nodes.

Chickenpox rashes first appear as reddish-pink spots (maculae), somewhat reminiscent of mosquito bites, 2-5 mm in diameter with jagged edges. After a while, they fill with a yellowish liquid, begin to itch very much, causing discomfort and anxiety in children. The liquid inside the bubbles is transparent, but becomes cloudy on the second day.

1-2 days after this, the blisters spontaneously burst, the liquid flows out, they dry out, become crusty and gradually heal. At the end of the healing process (after about 1-2 weeks), the crust falls off, leaving light pigmentation on the skin, which subsequently disappears. If a child scratches the wounds or picks off the scabs prematurely, scars and scars remain on the skin in the form of small depressions or craters.

Chickenpox rashes can occur not only on the skin, but also on the mucous membranes of the mouth, nasopharynx, conjunctiva of the eyes and on the external genitalia. They usually appear first on the face, scalp, shoulders, back and abdomen, and then spread to the upper and lower limbs, while they are most often absent on the palms and soles.

New elements of a chickenpox rash appear every 1-2 days, so a couple of days after the onset of the disease, different stages of it can be detected on the skin of children at the same time: nodules, blisters and crusts. Each wave of rashes is accompanied by an increase in body temperature. The number of rash elements over the entire period of illness can vary from 10 to 800, but on average it is about 200-300 pieces. Sometimes chickenpox occurs without rashes or with a minimal number of rashes (up to 10 pieces).

After the appearance of new rashes stops and the severity of other symptoms of chickenpox in the child decreases, the disease begins to decline, and a period of recovery begins.

Forms of chickenpox

Depending on the type of clinical picture, chickenpox is divided into typical and atypical forms. A typical form according to the nature of the flow is:

Easy. The child's condition is satisfactory, the temperature remains within normal limits or does not rise above 38°C, the duration of the rash is 4 days, the rashes are few.
Medium-heavy. Minor intoxication (headache, weakness, drowsiness), temperature rises above 38°C, profuse rashes appear within 5 days.
Heavy. General intoxication of the body (nausea, repeated vomiting, loss of appetite), temperature rises to 40°C, the period of rashes is 9 days, they almost completely cover the patient’s skin, and are also present on the mucous membranes, elements of the rash can merge with each other.

Atypical forms of chickenpox are divided into rudimentary and aggravated. The rudimentary form is characterized by a mild course, single rashes, normal or subfebrile body temperature. The aggravated form is characterized by a very intense clinical picture of the disease. It includes visceral, gangrenous and hemorrhagic forms, the treatment of which is carried out in a hospital.

In the hemorrhagic form of the disease, the patient experiences a high temperature, severe intoxication, damage to internal organs, blood appears in the blisters, and they bleed. Hematuria, hemorrhages in the skin and tissue, mucous membranes and internal organs.

The visceral form of chickenpox is predominantly detected in premature infants, newborns and children with immunodeficiency. It is characterized by prolonged intoxication, profuse rashes, severe fever, damage to the nervous system and internal organs (kidneys, lungs, liver, heart).

The gangrenous form is diagnosed extremely rarely, mainly in patients with immunodeficiency. Severe intoxication is observed. The blisters in this form are large in size and quickly become covered with a crust with an area of tissue necrosis. When the crust falls off, deep, very slowly healing ulcers appear on the skin.

Treatment of chickenpox in children

In most cases, chickenpox in children goes away on its own within 7–10 days. It is most easily tolerated by children aged 1 to 7 years. Treatment uses medications aimed at eliminating or reducing the severity of the main symptoms: fever, rash and itching. Special antiviral or immunostimulating therapy is used only for moderate and severe forms of the disease.

With chickenpox, it is very important to prevent the blisters from becoming suppurated by a bacterial infection. To do this, parents must carefully ensure that children do not touch them and do not scratch them in any way, distracting them. different ways. Your child's nails should be trimmed short. Very young children can put light cotton mittens (“scratchies”) on their hands, and have a conversation with older ones. To reduce itching with chickenpox, pediatricians often prescribe internal reception or local application of antihistamines (fenistil, erius, suprastin, zodak, diazolin).

To prevent infection of the vesicles, the following antiseptic disinfectants are used:

1% alcohol solution brilliant green (zelenka);
Castellani liquid;
water solution fucorcin;
aqueous solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate).

When treating elements of a rash with brilliant green, despite all its disadvantages, you can easily and quickly determine when new rashes will stop appearing.

In case of chickenpox, especially if the disease occurred in the summer, to prevent secondary skin infection, it is necessary to wash the child once a day, rinsing it boiled water or taking short-term cool baths with a solution of potassium permanganate, baking soda or chamomile decoction. It is unacceptable to use any detergents (soap, gels, etc.) or rub the skin with a washcloth. After bathing, you need to carefully pat your body dry with a soft towel and treat the wounds with an antiseptic solution.

It is better if the room where the sick child is located is cool to prevent overheating and not provoke profuse sweating. They will only intensify the itching and have an irritating effect on the elements of the rash, which the famous pediatrician E. O. Komarovsky especially draws the attention of parents to. During illness, it is recommended to change the child’s bed linen and home clothes every day, especially if he sweats a lot. Clothing should be made from natural fabrics, light and comfortable, so as not to injure the skin.

Among antipyretic drugs for chickenpox in children, if the temperature rises above 38°C, drugs based on paracetamol or ibuprofen are used. It is strictly contraindicated to give children with chickenpox any drugs based on acetylsalicylic acid, as this is fraught with severe impairment of liver function and even death.

During the treatment period, the child is also recommended to stay at home, drinking plenty of fluids and dietary nutrition. It is recommended to take children to kindergarten or school no earlier than 1-2 weeks after recovery, since the chickenpox virus significantly weakens the immune system for a time.

Video: Pediatrician E. O. Komarovsky about the symptoms and methods of treating chickenpox in children

Complications of chickenpox

At proper treatment child and personal hygiene, complications resulting from chickenpox in children are rare. One of the most likely complications is suppuration (abscess, impetigo) of the rash elements due to contact with them. pathogenic microorganisms. Then, to the main treatment of chickenpox, local application of antibacterial ointments is added, which are used to treat inflamed wounds.

More serious complications may occur in children:

patients with leukemia or other oncological diseases;
with congenital pathologies of the immune system;
HIV-infected;
first year of life.

In these cases, atypical forms of chickenpox may occur in children with symptoms of severe intoxication of the body, the development of sepsis, damage to the kidneys, lungs, liver, gastrointestinal tract, adrenal glands, and pancreas. Severe complications of chickenpox include viral pneumonia and inflammation of the membranes of the brain (encephalitis and meningoencephalitis), but they are rare.

Important: It is especially dangerous for unborn children when pregnant women get chickenpox. Chickenpox suffered by a woman before the 20th week of pregnancy leads to the development of chickenpox syndrome in the newborn. A baby may be born with underdeveloped limbs, rudimentary fingers, short stature, eye defects, and disorders of the nervous system.

It is very dangerous for a child to become infected with the chickenpox virus at the very end of pregnancy (4-5 days before birth), during childbirth, or within 5 days after birth, since he does not have time to receive enough antibodies from the mother necessary to fight the infection. In newborns and children up to 3 months, the disease is severe with the development of pathologies of vital organs and the nervous system.

Prevention measures

To prevent chickenpox or its complications, vaccination (injection of a weakened live virus) or administration of immunoglobulins (antibodies specific to the Varicella zoster virus) can be used.

Vaccination is recommended for children after one year of age. It protects the body from chickenpox for 10 years or longer. Although sometimes vaccinated people can still get chickenpox, it will already occur in mild form. The introduction of vaccines (Okavax, Varivax and Varilrix) is especially important for women planning pregnancy if they have not had chickenpox before. With their help, you can carry out emergency prevention chickenpox if there has been contact with a carrier of the infection. To prevent the development of the disease, the vaccine must be administered within 48–72 hours after contact with a carrier of the infection.

The introduction of anti-chickenpox immunoglobulin (the drug "Zostevir") is important for people who have been in contact with patients with chickenpox or herpes zoster, who are at high risk of developing severe complications in the event of chickenpox. These people include pregnant women, children with cancer, HIV-infected people who have undergone organ transplantation, children with severe chronic systemic diseases, premature babies weighing up to 1 kg, newborns whose mothers did not have chickenpox.

– spicy infection viral etiology, characterized by the appearance of a characteristic blistering rash against the background of a general intoxication syndrome. The causative agent of chickenpox is the herpes virus type 3, transmitted from a patient by airborne droplets. Chickenpox is one of the most common childhood infections. It is manifested by characteristic abundant itchy blistering rashes that appear at the height of fever and general infectious manifestations. A typical clinic can diagnose a disease without performing any additional research. Treatment of chickenpox is mainly symptomatic. To prevent secondary infection it is recommended antiseptic treatment elements of the rash.

General information

– an acute infectious disease of viral etiology, characterized by the appearance of a characteristic blistering rash against the background of a general intoxication syndrome.

Characteristics of the pathogen

Chickenpox is caused by the Varicella Zoster virus of the herpesvirus family, also known as human herpes virus type 3. This is a DNA-containing virus, little stable in the external environment, capable of replication only in the human body. Inactivation of the virus occurs quite quickly when exposed to sunlight, ultraviolet irradiation, heating, and drying. The reservoir and source of chickenpox are sick people within 10 last days incubation period and the fifth to seventh day of the rash period.

Chickenpox is transmitted through the aerosol mechanism by airborne droplets. Due to the weak resistance of the virus, contact-household transmission is difficult to implement. The spread of the virus with a fine aerosol released by patients when coughing, sneezing, talking, is possible over a sufficiently large distance within the room; it is likely to be carried by air currents into adjacent rooms. There is a possibility of transplacental transmission of infection.

People have a high susceptibility to infection; after suffering from chickenpox, intense lifelong immunity remains. Children in the first months of life are protected from infection by antibodies received from the mother. Chickenpox most often affects children of preschool and primary school age who attend organized children's groups. About 70-90% of the population gets chickenpox before the age of 15 years. The incidence in cities is more than 2 times higher than in rural areas. The peak incidence of chickenpox occurs in the autumn-winter period.

Pathogenesis of chickenpox

The entry point for infection is the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract. The virus invades and accumulates in epithelial cells, subsequently spreading to regional lymph nodes and further into the general bloodstream. The circulation of the virus in the bloodstream causes symptoms of general intoxication. The varicella zoster virus has an affinity for the epithelium of integumentary tissues. Replication of the virus in the epithelial cell contributes to its death; in the place of the dead cells, cavities remain, filled with exudate (inflammatory fluid) - a vesicle is formed. After opening the vesicles, crusts remain. After peeling off the crust, the newly formed epidermis is revealed underneath it. Chickenpox rashes can form both on the skin and on the mucous membranes, where the vesicles quickly progress to erosion.

Chicken pox in people with a weakened immune system occurs in a severe form, contributes to the development of complications, secondary infection, and exacerbation of chronic diseases. During pregnancy, the probability of transmitting chickenpox from mother to fetus is 0.4% in the first 14 weeks and increases to 1% until week 20, after which the risk of infection of the fetus is practically absent. As an effective preventative measure Pregnant women with chickenpox are prescribed specific immunoglobulins that help reduce the likelihood of transmitting the infection to the child to a minimum. Chicken pox that develops a week before childbirth and in the month following childbirth is more dangerous.

Persistent, lifelong immunity reliably protects the body from re-infection, however, with a significant decrease in the body’s immune properties, adults who had chickenpox in childhood can become infected with it again. There is a phenomenon of latent carriage of the varicella zoster virus accumulating in cells nerve ganglia and capable of activation, causing herpes zoster. The mechanisms of viral activation during such carriage are not yet clear enough.

Chickenpox symptoms

The incubation period for chickenpox ranges from 1-3 weeks. In children, prodromal phenomena are weakly expressed or not observed at all; in general, the course is mild with a slight deterioration in the general condition. Adults are prone to a more severe course of chickenpox with severe symptoms of intoxication (chills, headache, body aches), fever, and sometimes nausea and vomiting. Rashes in children can occur unexpectedly in the absence of any general symptoms. In adults, the period of rashes often begins later; fever when elements of the rash appear may persist for some time.

The rash with chickenpox has the character of bullous dermatitis. Rashes are single elements that appear on any part of the body and spread without any pattern. The elements of the rash initially appear as red spots, progressing into papules, and then into small, smooth single-chamber vesicles with clear liquid, collapsing when pierced. Opened vesicles form crusts. Chickenpox is characterized by the simultaneous existence of elements at different stages of development and the emergence of new ones (addition).

The chickenpox rash causes intense itching, and scratching may infect the vesicles with the formation of pustules. When pustules heal, they can leave behind a scar (pockmark). Uninfected vesicles do not leave scars, and once the crusts are separated, healthy new epithelium is revealed. When suppuration of eruptive elements general condition usually worsens, intoxication worsens. The rash in adults is usually more profuse, and in the vast majority of cases pustules form from the vesicles.

The rash spreads over almost the entire surface of the body with the exception of the palms and soles, mainly localized in the scalp, face, and neck. Falling asleep (the appearance of new elements) is possible for 3-8 days (in adults, as a rule, they are accompanied by new feverish waves). Intoxication subsides simultaneously with the cessation of sleep. The rash may appear on the mucous membranes of the mouth, genitals, and sometimes on the conjunctiva. Bulk elements on the mucous membranes progress to erosion and ulcers. In adults, the rash may be accompanied by lymphadenopathy; for children, involvement of the lymph nodes is not typical.

In addition to the typical course, there is an erased form of chickenpox, which occurs without signs of intoxication and with a short-term rare rash, as well as severe forms, distinguished by bullous, hemorrhagic and gangrenous. The bullous form is characterized by a rash in the form of large flabby blisters, which after opening leave long-healing ulcerative defects. This form is typical for people with severe chronic diseases. The hemorrhagic form is accompanied by hemorrhagic diathesis; small hemorrhages are observed on the skin and mucous membranes, and nosebleeds may occur. The vesicles have a brownish tint due to hemorrhagic contents. In persons with a significantly weakened body, chickenpox can occur in a gangrenous form: rapidly growing vesicles with hemorrhagic contents open to form necrotic black crusts, surrounded by a rim of inflamed skin.

Complications of chickenpox

In the vast majority of cases, the course of chickenpox is benign; complications are observed in no more than 5% of patients. Among them, diseases caused by secondary infection predominate: abscesses, phlegmon, and in severe cases, sepsis. A dangerous, difficult-to-treat complication is viral (chickenpox) pneumonia. In some cases, chicken pox can provoke keratitis, encephalitis, myocarditis, nephritis, arthritis, and hepatitis. Severe forms of diseases in adults are prone to complications, especially with concomitant chronic pathologies and a weakened immune system. In children, complications are observed in exceptional cases.

Diagnosis of chickenpox

Diagnosis of chickenpox in clinical practice is made on the basis of a characteristic clinical picture. General analysis blood for chickenpox is nonspecific, pathological changes may be limited to an acceleration of ESR, or signal an inflammatory disease with an intensity proportional to the general intoxication symptoms.

Virological research involves identifying virions by electromicroscopy of vesicular fluid stained with silver. Serological diagnosis is retrospective and is performed using RSC, RTGA in paired sera.

Treatment of chickenpox

Chickenpox is treated on an outpatient basis, unless severe course with intense general intoxication manifestations. Etiotropic therapy has not been developed; in case of pustule formation, antibiotic therapy is resorted to for a short course in medium dosages. Persons with immune deficiency can be prescribed antiviral drugs: acyclovir, vidarabine, interferon alpha (new generation interferon). Early administration of interferon contributes to a milder and shorter-term course of the infection, and also reduces the risk of complications.

Chickenpox treatment includes skin care measures to prevent purulent complications: vesicles are lubricated with antiseptic solutions: 1% solution of brilliant green, concentrated - potassium permanganate (“brilliant”, “potassium permanganate”). Ulcerations of the mucous membrane are treated with hydrogen peroxide at a 3% dilution or ethacridine lactate. Intense itching in the area of the rash is relieved by lubricating the skin with glycerin or wiping with diluted vinegar or alcohol. Prescribed as a pathogenetic agent antihistamines. Pregnant women and patients with severe forms are prescribed a specific anti-chickenpox immunoglobulin.

Forecast and prevention of chickenpox

The prognosis is favorable, the disease ends in recovery. Vesicles disappear without a trace, pustules can leave smallpox scars. Significant deterioration in prognosis in persons with immunodeficiency and severe systemic diseases.

Prevention of chickenpox consists of preventing the introduction of infection into organized children's groups, for which quarantine measures are taken when cases of the disease are detected. Patients are isolated for 9 days from the moment the rash appears; children who have been in contact with sick people are separated for 21 days. If the day of contact with the patient is precisely determined, the child is not allowed into the children's group from 11 to 21 days after contact. Contact children who have not previously had chickenpox and with weakened immune systems are prescribed anti-chickenpox immunoglobulin as a preventive measure.

Recently, vaccination against chickenpox has begun to be used. For this purpose, the vaccines Varilrix (Belgium) and Okavax (Japan) are used.

The main category of patients are children aged 3 to 7 years. For the most part, the disease is “mild”, without causing severe complications (unlike the course of the disease in adults). However, therapy must be approached with full responsibility.

Proper treatment of chickenpox in children

The basis of therapy is medications. In most cases it is acceptable ambulatory treatment(without hospitalization).

Photo: Child smeared with fucorcin

The following medications can be used at home:

Antiseptic drugs

Below we will look at how you can treat chickenpox in children, except brilliant green.

Zelenka (brilliant green solution)

Classic, Soviet pharmaceutical. Used for processing on initial stage formation of papules. It has a drying effect and initiates regenerative processes.

However, it has a number of disadvantages:

The main one is the presence of green spots on the skin, which are extremely difficult to remove.
Brilliant green solution is not suitable for treating papules on mucous membranes.
The main active ingredient dries out wounds, causing cracking and increasing the feeling of itching and burning.

If you have it, you can do without brilliant green.

Main active ingredient- phenol.

It has an antiseptic effect and quickly destroys the herpes virus. However, it is only suitable for spot treatment of papules.

If herpetic rashes merged into a single section, Fukortsin is not applicable.

Acetone, phenol and a number of other substances included in the drug are absorbed into the bloodstream, causing poisoning throughout the body with characteristic symptoms:

dizziness,
nausea,
weakness, etc.

You can only treat the skin with Fukortsin; it will not help with rashes in the throat or genitals.

Considered modern and safe drug. Available in the form of a suspension. Does not contain harmful substances.

The basis medicine is: divalent zinc oxide.

It has an antiseptic, drying and astringent effect. Thanks to this, the product can be used to treat rashes:

including on mucous membranes (with herpetic stomatitis, For example),
and without the risk of irritating delicate skin (for example, on the eye).

A complete analogue of Tsindol, however, is an order of magnitude more expensive. The high price is due to the additional content of iron oxide in the composition.

It complements the action of zinc oxide, accelerating recovery processes and preventing secondary infection of wound surfaces.

Gel Poksklin is an analogue of Calamine, also actively used for chickenpox.

An effective antiseptic drug. It was originally created to combat sexually transmitted infections, but the effect of the drug is noticeably broader.

Suitable for treating rashes in children in the mouth, eyelid, and genital area.

What else should I use to smear papules?

“Penny” will do zinc ointment. It's universal dermatological product. They treat lichen, psoriasis, eczema, chickenpox and a host of other skin diseases.

Specialized antiherpetic agents

Acyclovir is the most effective. This is a specialized drug designed to fight any type of herpes virus. The main active ingredient of Acyclovir inhibits the DNA of the pathogen, preventing the pathological process from spreading. In addition, the medication has antiseptic and regenerative effects.

Clinical studies have shown that the duration of the disease is reduced from two to three weeks to several days.

Antibacterial drugs

Prescribed for local use. Broad-spectrum antibacterial drugs are used: gentamicin ointment, tetracycline-based ointment, etc. The use of antibiotics allows:

exclude secondary infection of wounds,
prevent the purulent process.

Immunostimulants

In the form of preparations for local use. The most common pharmaceutical product is Viferon ointment. Viferon and its analogues promote the local production of the body's own interferon.

Such medications increase the body's resistance.

Antihistamines

Help relieve itching and burning. Often, signs of allergy overlap with the symptoms of chickenpox. The course of the disease worsens. For therapeutic purposes, antiallergic drugs of the first and third generations are prescribed:

Pipolfen,
Tavegil,
Suprastin,
Cetrin and its derivatives.

At the local level, the use of second generation antihistamines (Fenistil ointment) is acceptable.

Treatment of complications of chickenpox

The most common consequence of long-term chickenpox is damage to the mucous membranes of the mouth and throat. Herpetic (chickenpox) sore throat develops.

How to treat sore throat with chickenpox in children? For therapy purposes, the already known drug Miramistin is used. To prepare the rinse solution you should take:

1/2 tsp. Miramistina,
1 tbsp. warm water

It is acceptable to use furatsilin and lubricate the throat with solutions of silver and iodine. It is necessary to take antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs only when prescribed by a doctor. “Self-prescribing” of these drugs will do more harm than “benefit”.

Other complications are possible, such as meningitis, pneumonia, etc., but they are extremely rare. Therapy similar conditions carried out exclusively in a hospital setting.

Folk remedies

Effective and safe folk remedies There is simply no treatment for chickenpox and its complications.

It is acceptable to gargle with soda and apply lotions with this sodium salt. It is recommended to give preference to traditional medications.

General principles of treatment for chickenpox

Treat chickenpox rashes from the first day of the onset of the pathological process. The main group of drugs for treatment are antiseptics.
Itching can be relieved by adding antihistamines to the therapeutic course.
There is no need to lower the temperature to 38.1ºC. If the thermometer readings rise higher, it is necessary to take antipyretics. Better based on ibuprofen (Ibuprofen, Nurofen). Preparations based on paracetamol and acetylsalicylic acid are dangerous for the liver, heart and lungs. It is not recommended to give them to children.
During the treatment period, it is recommended to adhere to a diet. The diet should be fortified with a sufficient amount of minerals. As much liquid as possible and less animal products.
Self-medication is unacceptable. At the first sign of chickenpox, it is recommended to call a doctor at home.
Walking during the acute phase is unacceptable.
Strict bed rest is indicated.
To avoid scars, you should never comb the wounds. However, chickenpox scars can be cured. Special ointments are used against scars: Contractubex, Aldara, Medgel, etc.

In what cases is inpatient treatment required?

Contrary to popular belief that chickenpox in children occurs without complications, this is not always the case. There is a clear list of indications for hospitalization and treatment in a hospital:

If the body temperature is above 38.5 degrees and is not reduced by antipyretic drugs.
If a teenage child is sick.
If the duration acute period protracted (longer than five days and without relief).
In the presence of complications: when a cough appears, disturbances of consciousness, focal neurological symptoms cannot be avoided without urgent hospitalization.

In any case, the question of the need and advisability of treating chickenpox in a hospital is decided by the doctor. It all depends on how it goes, whether there are complications or the risk of their development, etc.

How long does it take to treat chickenpox in children?

In each specific case, the answer to this question will be different. As a rule, the acute phase of the disease lasts from 5 to 12 days.

Treatment should continue after the end of the acute period. It should be continued until the symptoms disappear completely. After which, to prevent secondary infection of the wounds and aggravation of symptoms, you need to take the prescribed medications for a few more days.

How to treat chickenpox in a child so as not to infect an adult

If an adult has not had chickenpox, there can be no talk of any treatment for the child. Smallpox is highly contagious and is transmitted by airborne droplets. In practice, this means that simply sitting next to a sick person is enough to become infected.

Treatment should be carried out by a parent with immunity. If this is not possible, you should take precautions:

use glasses, mask,
oxolinic ointment intranasally.

Doctor Komarovsky's opinion

Dr. Komarovsky’s opinion on how to treat chickenpox in children, in general, echoes generally accepted measures to combat the disease. The doctor focuses on the need to create conditions for the body to independently fight the pathogen. Therefore, he does not recommend specialized drugs, such as Acyclovir, for mild cases of smallpox.

Komarovsky advises lowering the temperature only at values above 38 degrees, using ibuprofen-based drugs.

? ?According to statistics, more than 800 thousand people under the age of 12 suffer from this infectious disease in Russia every year. Chicken pox, which seems harmless at first glance, in children, if treated incorrectly, can cause serious complications that are life-threatening. If the disease occurs, antiviral treatment is not required; you just need to apply various kinds of therapeutic measures aimed at alleviating the condition. The development of lifelong immunity reduces the incidence of disease among adults.

What is chicken pox

This is a highly contagious (contagious) infectious disease that occurs primarily among children under 12 years of age. The causative agent of chickenpox is the Varicella-herpes zoster virus, which is capable of quickly moving through the air for many hundreds of meters, but is not able to survive without the human body and dies after 10 minutes under the influence of environmental factors (high or low temperature, ultra-violet rays).

The varicella zoster virus is volatile and is transmitted primarily by airborne droplets. People who have not previously had this disease and have not been vaccinated are 100% likely to become infected. After suffering from the disease, a person remains immune for life, but an inactive form of the virus is present in the spinal ganglia and cranial nerves. If in the course of life a person’s immune system weakens greatly (oncology, stress, blood diseases), the latent form of Varicella-Zoster begins to activate, and herpes zoster (shingles) develops.

You can become infected with chickenpox only from a sick person, and the virus penetrates through the mucous membranes of the mouth or respiratory tract. A patient infected with the virus is dangerous within 2 days before the appearance of a skin rash and the next 5 days after the last rash. Transmission of infection through the placenta from a sick mother to the fetus is possible. The high-risk group is children in groups (kindergartens, schools).

Stages and course of chickenpox in children

Chickenpox in children manifests itself in several stages, which are accompanied by characteristic symptoms. The main stages of the disease:

The incubation period for chickenpox (1-3 weeks) is when the virus multiplies in nervous system infected person without external clinical manifestations.
Prodromal period (1 day) - in young children the clinical picture may be absent, in adults minor manifestations similar to the common cold appear. Main symptoms:

increase in body temperature to 37.5°C;
headache;
weakness, malaise;
loss of appetite, nausea;
short-term red spots on the body;
sore throat sensation.

The period of rash begins with a sharp rise in body temperature to 39-39.5°C. The higher the hyperthermia, the more severe the disease with profuse rashes. In a mild form, the disease is accompanied only by the appearance of a rash on some parts of the body.

Forms of chickenpox

Chickenpox in children can be typical or atypical, depending on the nature of the clinical picture.. A typical one can occur in several ways:

Mild (satisfactory condition, temperature is normal or does not rise above 38 degrees, the period of rash lasts 4 days, skin manifestations are minor).
Moderate (intoxication of the body begins in the form of headache, weakness, drowsiness; hyperthermia above 38 degrees, profuse rash, ending after 5 days).
Severe (severe intoxication, manifested by nausea, repeated vomiting, loss of appetite, body temperature up to 40 degrees; the period of rash is 9 days, the rash spreads throughout the body, to the mucous membranes, merging of lesions with each other is observed).

TO atypical forms Chickenpox is classified as rudimentary and aggravated. Rudimentary occurs easily with isolated rashes, normal or subfebrile body temperature. The aggravated one is characterized by a pronounced clinical picture. This form includes the following types of disease, treatment of which is carried out in a hospital setting:

Hemorrhagic - manifests itself high temperature, severe intoxication, damage to internal organs, blood appears in rashes in the form of bubbles. Subsequently, hemorrhages occur under the skin and tissue, in the mucous membranes and internal organs.
Visceral - affects premature newborns and children with various immunodeficiencies. Intoxicating long-term syndrome, profuse rash, critical hyperthermia with damage to the central nervous system, kidneys, lungs, liver, heart.
Gangrenous - diagnosed very rarely (more often in people with HIV infection). It is characterized by severe intoxication, huge blisters on which a crust and a zone of tissue necrosis quickly forms. After it falls off, deep and slowly healing ulcers remain on the skin.

Chicken pox in infants

Chickenpox in infants is rare. Infection occurs if maternal antibodies to the herpes virus do not enter the child’s body during the process of intrauterine development of the fetus. This occurs when the mother did not have this disease before pregnancy. The course of infection in infants:

high temperature up to 40°C;
severe intoxication;
anxiety, weakness of the child;
poor appetite;
profuse rashes with slow healing;
prolonged manifestation of the disease (10-14 days).

Features of the rash with chickenpox in children

There are several successive stages in the development of skin rashes in children. They appear on different days of the disease. The main stages of rash formation:

Pimples (the first signs of chickenpox), which look like mosquito bites.
Spots that develop into clear fluid-filled blisters with red skin around the edges. Gradually they become cloudy and burst.
Drying of the bubbles is accompanied by the formation of a crust that cannot be removed.
There are situations when the symptoms of chickenpox in children appear simultaneously in the form of spots, blisters, and crusts without a specific sequence.

Complications of chickenpox in children

Chickenpox in most cases goes away without complications, but there are exceptions. Children with different types immunodeficiencies are subject to more severe disease. To the main undesirable consequences diseases can be attributed to:

Secondary infection occurs when the skin is damaged by staphylococcus and streptococcus with the development of purulent dermatitis, amenable only to antibiotics.
Suppression of immune function. When the virus suppresses the body's defenses, diseases develop: otitis media, gingivitis, laryngitis, pneumonia, stomatitis, arthritis, nephritis, myocarditis.
Hemorrhagic form of chickenpox. High probability fatal outcome due to the increased risk of bleeding under the skin, into the mucous membranes, nasal and pulmonary hemorrhages.
Gangrenous chicken pox. Papules become large flabby blisters with elements of necrosis. As a result, huge ulcers develop with the risk of sepsis.
Chickenpox encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain, which is manifested by high fever and unbearable headaches.
Scars and scars remain on the skin after severe scratching of wounds or secondary infection of the skin with the development of a purulent process.

Treatment of chickenpox in children

More often, chickenpox goes away on its own within 1 – 1.5 weeks. It is most easily tolerated by children from 1 to 7 years old. Treatment of chickenpox in children is best done at home; you need to drink more fluids and eat right (exclude fatty, salty, spicy foods). The patient's room should be cool to prevent profuse sweating, which will provoke a strong itchy skin, irritation.

During illness, regular change of bed and underwear is recommended. It is better to choose clothes made from natural fabrics to avoid unnecessary injury to the skin. To prevent the development of a secondary infection, you need to regularly bathe the child in boiled water, take cool baths with an aqueous solution of potassium permanganate or chamomile decoction. Use various types of detergents (gels, soaps, shampoos) and scrub with a washcloth. skin covering it is forbidden. After water procedures Areas of the body should be blotted with a soft towel and the wounds should be treated with an antiseptic.

Rash treatment

To prevent infection, chickenpox rashes should be treated with antiseptics.. The main disinfectants include:

1% alcohol solution of brilliant green (zelenka);
Castellani liquid;
aqueous solution of fucorcin;
chamomile decoction and furatsilin solution (for gargling and mouthwash);
aqueous solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate).

Drug therapy

Chickenpox in children is treated using antiseptics and good hygienic care for the skin. There are cases when combination therapy is needed to reduce the viral load in the body. The main groups of such drugs include:

Antipyretics (children's Paracetamol, Ibuprofen or Nurofen).
Antiviral creams for topical use, which are approved for children from 2 years of age (Zovirax, Acyclovir, Virolex).
Antibiotics are prescribed when a secondary bacterial infection occurs with the development of purulent and inflammatory process.
Immunomodulators and immunostimulants to maintain the immune system (Anaferon, Interferon, Viferon).
Antihistamines to remove severe itching skin (Claritin, Cetrin, Erius, Zyrtec, Terfen).

Prevention of chickenpox

The main preventive measures are aimed at preventing the introduction of the virus and the spread of the disease in children's groups. Main events:

Isolation of children with chickenpox until the 5th day after the last skin rash.
Nursery groups of kindergartens are closed for quarantine for up to 20 days from the moment a sick child is identified.
Children with immunodeficiency undergo passive immunoprophylaxis (single injection of immunoglobulin) in the first 3 days after contact with a sick person.

If a pregnant woman is infected with chickenpox, she is given a specific immunoglobulin to prevent intrauterine infection of the fetus. There is a vaccine against chickenpox, which is indicated for weakened children with chronic diseases. Several drugs have been developed for vaccinations:

Okawax (Japan);
Varilrix (Belgium).