Warning: Chickenpox in adults can cause dangerous complications.

36-year-old in critical condition due to pneumonia complications from chickenpox.

According to information from the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, the unit recently treated a 36-year-old male patient in critical condition due to severe complications from chickenpox.

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36-year-old in critical condition due to pneumonia complications from chickenpox.
Those at high risk of complications from chickenpox.
Effective chickenpox prevention

The patient, Mr. BVH, residing in Hung Yen province, contracted the disease through daily activities and close contact with his daughter, who was suffering from chickenpox in the family.

Specifically, about 6 days before hospitalization, Mr. H. began experiencing symptoms of epigastric pain, stomach pain, followed by sore throat and high fever. During 4 days of home treatment, the patient self-medicated with antibiotics, fever reducers, cough suppressants, and applied ointments to the chickenpox blisters, but his condition did not improve. The blisters spread rapidly from his scalp to his face and then to his entire body. When the fever persisted, at times reaching 39–40°C, his family administered intravenous fluids at home, but his condition worsened, forcing him to be taken to a medical facility.

Due to rapidly progressing respiratory failure, Mr. H. was urgently transferred to the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases. There, the patient was admitted with a rapid heart rate, severe respiratory failure, and diffuse lung damage, requiring sedation and mechanical ventilation with 100% oxygen, along with coagulation disorders and a severe septic syndrome.

Test results showed the patient's CRP level was very high, reaching 340.3 mg/L. The initial SOFA score was 4 points, which decreased to 3 points after 48 hours of intensive treatment. The patient was diagnosed with septic shock and ARDS pneumonia – one of the most severe and dangerous complications of chickenpox.

After 9 days of intensive treatment, the patient's respiratory condition improved, oxygen requirements gradually decreased, blood clotting disorders were controlled, and the blisters and pustules began to dry up. However, lung damage remained severe, and the patient continued to be monitored and treated in the Intensive Care Unit.

Those at high risk of complications from chickenpox.

Chickenpox is generally a benign disease that can resolve quickly within 7-10 days without causing serious health problems. However, in many cases, chickenpox can lead to serious complications requiring hospitalization and even death. Even if fortunate enough to overcome the complications, there is still a very high risk of long-term sequelae, negatively affecting the patient's health and mental well-being.

Anyone can get infected with the Varicella Zoster virus (VZV), which causes chickenpox. The risk of infection and developing the disease is higher when:

Direct contact with patients suffering from chickenpox or shingles: The virus can spread through the respiratory tract or direct contact with pus from skin lesions caused by chickenpox/shingles. Therefore, direct contact with patients suffering from chickenpox/shingles carries a high risk of VZV infection, leading to chickenpox.
Having a family member with chickenpox: According to many studies, because of the high transmissibility through close contact with the pathogen, the risk of VZV infection within a family is very high, even higher than the risk of infection in a hospital environment.
People with weakened immune systems: Individuals with weakened immune systems due to age, illness, medication or immunosuppressive therapies, or pregnant women, are more susceptible to VZV infection and chickenpox. A weakened immune system reduces the ability to fight off the virus, creating favorable conditions for the virus to attack and cause disease.

Warning: Chickenpox in adults can cause dangerous complications - Image 1.

The disease is common in children, but adults can also contract it and experience severe symptoms.

Some complications of chickenpox:

Infections of the skin, soft tissue, or bone, including sepsis.
Bacterial infections in the bloodstream or bleeding problems.
Dehydration.
Encephalitis or pneumonia.
Reye's syndrome.
Toxic shock syndrome.

Those at high risk of complications from chickenpox include: pregnant women who have never had chickenpox; people taking immunosuppressant drugs such as chemotherapy; people with weakened immune systems due to other conditions such as HIV, organ transplants, or previous bone marrow transplants; and people taking steroid medications such as those for rheumatoid arthritis.

Effective chickenpox prevention

To effectively prevent chickenpox, the Ministry of Health recommends that the community take the following measures:

Vaccination against chickenpox is recommended for children from 9 months of age (for Varilrix vaccine) or children from 12 months of age (for Varivax and Varicella vaccines), as well as adults and pregnant women, to proactively stimulate the body to produce specific immunity against VZV, effectively preventing the risk of chickenpox in up to 90% of cases. If infection does occur, the disease course is much milder, with very few rashes and blisters, a faster recovery time, and virtually no dangerous complications.

Avoid close contact with people who have chickenpox to prevent the spread of the disease from sick people to healthy people.

People with chickenpox should stay home from school or work, and should isolate themselves from the community, avoiding contact with others for 7-10 days from the first appearance of the rash to reduce the risk of infecting those around them.

Wash your hands frequently with soap and clean water, especially before eating, after using the toilet, and after touching objects suspected of containing germs. Absolutely do not share personal items with others, especially when you do not know their health status. Pay attention to daily nasal and throat hygiene using saline solution to disinfect the upper respiratory tract and throat mucosa, helping to minimize the risk of contracting the chickenpox virus.

Maintain a habit of cleaning your living environment and frequently touched items with specialized disinfectants at least once every two weeks to reduce the risk of infection from the surrounding environment.

Source: https://suckhoedoisong.vn/canh-bao-thuy-dau-o-nguoi-lon-co-the-gay-bien-chung-nguy-hiem-169260112192240133.htm