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Background Varicella is a highly contagious childhood disease. Generally benign, serious complications necessitating antibiotic use may occur. The objective of this study was to characterize the rate, appropriateness and patterns of real-world antibiotic prescribing for management of varicella-associated complications, prior to universal varicella vaccination (UVV) implementation. Methods Pooled, post-hoc analysis of 5 international, multicenter, retrospective chart reviews studies (Argentina, Hungary, Mexico, Peru, Poland). Inpatient and outpatient primary pediatric (1–14 years) varicella cases, diagnosed between 2009 and 2016, were eligible. Outcomes, assessed descriptively, included varicella-associated complications and antibiotic use. Three antibiotic prescribing scenarios were defined based on complication profile in chart: evidence of microbiologically confirmed bacterial infection (Scenario A); insufficient evidence confirming microbiological confirmation (Scenario B); no evidence of microbiological confirmation (Scenario C). Stratification was performed by patient status (inpatient vs. outpatient) and country. Results Four hundred one outpatients and 386 inpatients were included. Mean (SD) outpatient age was 3.6 (2.8) years; inpatient age was 3.1 (2.8) years. Male gender was predominant. Overall, 12.2% outpatients reported ≥1 infectious complication, 3.7% ≥1 bacterial infection, and 0.5% ≥1 microbiologically confirmed infection; inpatient complication rates were 78.8, 33.2 and 16.6%, respectively. Antibiotics were prescribed to 12.7% of outpatients and 68.9% of inpatients. Among users, β-lactamases (class), and clindamycin (agent), dominated prescriptions. Scenario A was assigned to 3.9% (outpatients) vs 13.2% (inpatients); Scenario B: 2.0% vs. 6.0%; Scenario C: 94.1% vs. 80.8%. Conclusions High rates of infectious complications and antibiotic use are reported, with low rates of microbiological confirmation suggesting possible antibiotic misuse for management of varicella complications. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-019-7071-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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OBJETIVO: Evaluar la carga clínica y económica de la varicela en pacientes mexicanos de 1-14 años.MÉTODOS: Estudio retrospectivo, multicéntrico, de expedientes clínicos de pacientes de 1-14 años con diagnóstico de varicela primaria atendidos del 2011 al 2016 en 10 sitios. Los costos directos e indirectos individuales (dólares americanos al tipo de cambio promedio de 2017) se calcularon a partir del uso de recursos de atención médica, los gastos pagados por los padres o tutores del paciente y la pérdida de trabajo de los cuidadores. Los costos sociales anuales se estimaron para un escenario base multiplicando los costos por paciente por la incidencia promedio de la varicela según el Sistema Único de Información para la Vigilancia Epidemiológica (SUIVE).RESULTADOS: Se incluyeron los expedientes clínicos de 152 pacientes con varicela: 75 ambulatorios y 77 hospitalizados. Estos últimos reportaron tasas de complicaciones más altas (84.4 vs 6.7%), requirieron más medicamentos recetados y de venta libre (94.8 vs 80.0%; 71.4 vs 80.0%, respectivamente), análisis y procedimientos (87.0 vs 5.3%). Los costos directos e indirectos se calcularon en 198.3 y 42.3 dólares por paciente ambulatorio, y en 5611 y 175.2 dólares por paciente hospitalizado, respectivamente.CONCLUSIÓN: Existe una carga clínica y económica considerable entre los menores de edad con varicela primaria en México. Estos resultados destacan la necesidad de implementar un programa de vacunación infantil contra la varicela.PALABRAS CLAVE: Niño; varicela; vacunación; México; carga económica de la enfermedad; uso de recursos de atención médica

Varicella is a mild and self-limited illness in children, but can result in significant healthcare resource utilization (HCRU). To quantify/contrast varicella-associated HCRU in five middle-income countries (Hungary, Poland, Argentina, Mexico, and Peru) where universal varicella vaccination was unimplemented, charts were retrospectively reviewed among 1–14 year-olds. Data were obtained on management of primary varicella between 2009–2016, including outpatient/inpatient visits, allied healthcare contacts, tests/procedures, and medications. These results are contrasted across countries, and a regression model is fit to extrapolated country-level costs as a function of gross domestic product (GDP). A total of 401 outpatients and 386 inpatients were included. Significant differences between countries were observed in the number of skin lesions among outpatients, ranging from 5.3% to 25.4% of patients with ≥250 lesions. Among inpatients, results were less variable. Average ambulatory medical visits ranged from 1.1 to 2.2. Average hospital stay ranged from 3.6 to 6.8 days. Use of tests/procedures was infrequent in outpatients, except in Argentina (13.3%); among inpatients, a test/procedure was ordered for 81.3% of patients, without regional variation. Prescription medications were administered in 44.4% of outpatients (range 9.3%–80.0%), and in 86% of inpatients (range 70.4%–94.9%). Total estimated spending on varicella treatment in the absence of vaccination was predicted from income levels (GDP) with an exponential function (R 2 = 0.89). This study demonstrates that substantial HCRU is associated with varicella resulting in significant public health burden that could be alleviated through the use of varicella vaccination. Differences observed between countries possibly reflect treatment guidelines, healthcare resource availabilities and physician practices.