CHICKENPOX ARDS IN A HEALTH-CARE WORKER FOLLOWING OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE

A case is described of chickenpox acute respiratory distress syndrome in an ambulance driver after the inter-hospital transfer of a patient known to have chickenpox pneumonia. Following this exposure, he neithe r avoided patient contact nor received varicella tester immune globuli n. He subsequently required 13 days of ventilatory support before maki ng a full recovery. The case described supports the contention that he alth care workers should be screened by serology for immunity to chick enpox before patient contact occurs, with subsequent vaccination of th ose who are non-immune, when the Vaccine becomes available.