Biomaterial Database

Management of varicella exposure in a neonatal intensive care unit. 1989

S V Lipton, and P A Brunell

Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio 78284-7811.

We describe the management of an exposure to varicella in a neonatal intensive care unit. Thirty-seven hospital staff members with negative histories of varicella were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for antibody to varicella zoster; all were seropositive. None were restricted from clinical duties, were given varicella-zoster immune globulin, or developed disease. Although only 1 of 38 cord serum samples from normal term infants was seronegative, 10 of 22 neonatal intensive care unit infants were seronegative. The high rate of seronegativity among these patients was related to chronological age older than 2 months and to multiple transfusions of packed red blood cells. This probably reflects natural catabolism of maternal antibody and loss of antibody in serum removed from these infants for diagnostic tests. Infants lacking antibody were given varicella-zoster immune globulin. Antibody levels following administration of varicella-zoster immune globulin were directly related to the dose administered.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007116	Immunization, Passive	Transfer of immunity from immunized to non-immune host by administration of serum antibodies, or transplantation of lymphocytes (ADOPTIVE TRANSFER).	Convalescent Plasma Therapy,Immunoglobulin Therapy,Immunotherapy, Passive,Normal Serum Globulin Therapy,Passive Antibody Transfer,Passive Transfer of Immunity,Serotherapy,Passive Immunotherapy,Therapy, Immunoglobulin,Antibody Transfer, Passive,Passive Immunization,Therapy, Convalescent Plasma,Transfer, Passive Antibody
D007223	Infant	A child between 1 and 23 months of age.	Infants
D007231	Infant, Newborn	An infant during the first 28 days after birth.	Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D007363	Intensive Care Units, Neonatal	Hospital units providing continuing surveillance and care to acutely ill newborn infants.	Neonatal Intensive Care Unit,Neonatal Intensive Care Units,Newborn Intensive Care Unit,Newborn Intensive Care Units,ICU, Neonatal,Neonatal ICU,Newborn ICU,Newborn Intensive Care Units (NICU),ICU, Newborn,ICUs, Neonatal,ICUs, Newborn,Neonatal ICUs,Newborn ICUs
D008297	Male		Males
D010564	Personnel, Hospital	The individuals employed by the hospital.	Hospital Personnel
D002644	Chickenpox	A highly contagious infectious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus (HERPESVIRUS 3, HUMAN). It usually affects children, is spread by direct contact or respiratory route via droplet nuclei, and is characterized by the appearance on the skin and mucous membranes of successive crops of typical pruritic vesicular lesions that are easily broken and become scabbed. Chickenpox is relatively benign in children, but may be complicated by pneumonia and encephalitis in adults. (From Dorland, 27th ed)	Varicella,Chicken Pox
D004797	Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay	An immunoassay utilizing an antibody labeled with an enzyme marker such as horseradish peroxidase. While either the enzyme or the antibody is bound to an immunosorbent substrate, they both retain their biologic activity; the change in enzyme activity as a result of the enzyme-antibody-antigen reaction is proportional to the concentration of the antigen and can be measured spectrophotometrically or with the naked eye. Many variations of the method have been developed.	ELISA,Assay, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent,Assays, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent,Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay,Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays,Immunosorbent Assay, Enzyme-Linked,Immunosorbent Assays, Enzyme-Linked
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man