CHICKEN POX Chicken pox is a common childhood illness. It is best for children to be vaccinated at 12 months of age to prevent the disease. The incubation period for chicken pox is most commonly 14-17 days but the disease may appear as early as 10 or as late as 20 days after exposure. The rash starts as small pink spots which come in waves (“crops”) which rapidly (over several hours) evolve into small pencil-eraser sized fluid-filled blisters on the scalp and body then spread to the face, arms, and legs. These blisters then rupture and scab over. People who have never had chicken pox and have not been vaccinated (including adults) are susceptible and may catch the disease from another person with the disease in its contagious period (1-2 days before the rash appears until the last blister scabs over or about 5-7 days total). Once someone has had chicken pox he is usually immune for life and may have contact without danger of becoming infected. Chicken pox is extremely contagious. Children with chicken pox should be kept away from anyone who has not had the disease or has not been vaccinated, until their last scab is well formed. It is particularly imprtant that immunocompromised people (those receiving cancer chemotherapy, long term oral steroids, or those with HIV) and newborns, not be exposed to chicken pox as they are more likely to have a severe case.  Chicken pox is often very itchy. Benadryl taken by mouth is often helpful for this. Scarring will be made worse by scratching and this is discouraged.  Trimming your child’s finger nails may help. You may also want to try baking soda baths using 1 cup of baking soda for every 3 inches of water in a normal sized bathtub or one full box for a full tub. Aveeno baths may also be soothing (Aveeno is available at grocery or drug stores). Topical creams, ointments, etc., only increase the chances of secondary bacterial skin infections and are discouraged. There are no medicines to cure chicken pox. However there is an antiviral medication, Acyclovir, which can decrease symptoms in children over the age of 12 years if started within the first 24 hours of the outbreak. Do not give aspirin or medications containing 33 salicylates to anyone with chicken pox.

In general, we do not need to see children with the chicken pox in our office, but if one of the following things occurs, please call our office:

1. Fever of 103 or greater is seen.

2. Areas of the rash become very red, warm or tender.

3. The blisters become very large (greater than ½”).

4. Staggering, vomiting, or disorientation is seen. It is within 24 hours of the start of the disease and your child is 12 years or older.

6. Child has been vaccinated.

If your child needs to be seen for one of these reasons, or if your feel compelled to confirm the diagnosis, please make sure when you call for an appointment that you tell the nurse that chicken pox is a possibility.  When you arrive, please leave the patient in the hallway outside our front door and stick your head in to tell us you’ve arrived. A nurse will shortly escort you in our back door directly to an exam room in order to minimize exposure to the rest of the patients in our office to this highly contagious disease.