Hospitalizaciones pediátricas atribuibles a infecciones por virus varicela zoster

Objective: To estimate the burden of hospital admissions for varicella and herpes zoster among subjects up to 20 years old in the Autonomous Region of Basque Country in Spain during 2001-2003. Methods: Varicella and herpes zoster discharges data were obtained from the national surveillance system for hospital data. Variables age, Sex, admission and discharge dates, underlying conditions and complications were collected. Results: A total of 123 hospital discharges for varicella and 11 for herpes zoster were reported, with an average annual incidence of hospitalizations of 11.3 cases and 1.0 cases per 100,000 population, respectively. The median length of stay in hospital was 5 days for both diseases. The only death reported was caused by varicella, corresponding to a 2 years old girl suffering from hepatic necrosis. Varicella generated an annual pediatric hospitalization cost of 79,523 ?, much more than herpes zoster, with 11,410 ? per year. Conclusion: Despite being a preventable disease, varicella is still generating an important number of paediatric hospitalizations. New studies assessing the paediatric incidence of herpes zoster are required to evaluate possible effects of the implementation of varicella vaccine on the epidemiology of the disease.