VARICELLOID PNEUMONIA IN THE ADULT PATIEN T - REVIEW OF 25 CASES

Citation
Ca. Llanso et al., VARICELLOID PNEUMONIA IN THE ADULT PATIEN T - REVIEW OF 25 CASES, Revista Clinica Espanola, 197(10), 1997, pp. 690-692
Citations number
21
Categorie Soggetti
Medicine, General & Internal
Journal title
ISSN journal
00142565
Volume
197
Issue
10
Year of publication
1997
Pages
690 - 692
Database
ISI
SICI code
0014-2565(1997)197:10<690:VPITAP>2.0.ZU;2-0
Abstract
Objective. To study the clinical, therapeutic, and evolutive features in 25 patients with the diagnosis of varicella pneumonia (VP) in the l ast 15 years. Patients and methods: The diagnosis was established by c linical and radiologic criteria in the course of varicella infection. The antecedents of smoking habit, pregnancy, and underlying disease we re evaluated. Hypoxemia was defined as a pO(2) less than or equal to 6 5 mmHg with a FiO(2) of 0.21. Results. Twenty-five patients (16 males and 9 women; mean age 31.5 years, range: 24-43 years) were included in the study. Ninety-two percent of patients were smokers of more than 2 0 cigarettes a day; five met criteria of simple chronic bronchitis, 3 were known carriers of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and one had a chronic liver disease caused by hepatitis C virus. In 16 patients (6 4%) there were no underlying diseases and none of the female patients was pregnant. Respiratory symptoms began from the first and seventh da y after the skin rash, and the most common symptoms were cough (76%), dyspnea (48%), and chest pain (44%). In 22 patients an arterial gas de termination was obtained and hypoxemia was documented in 8 patients (3 2%). Hypoxemia was greater and statistically significant in patients w ith underlying diseases (p < 0.01). Chest X-ray revealed an interstiti al pattern predominantly at both bases. Intravenous acyclovir therapy was started in 19 patients (76%) with severe respiratory symptoms and/ or underlying disease. Three patients (12%) were admitted to the Inten sive Care Unit for mechanical ventilation. All patients had a favourab le clinical course. Conclusions. Adult patients with symptoms of VP ha d a favourable clinical course with intravenous acyclovir, and the pre sence of hypoxemia was more commonly observed when underlying diseases were also present.