What Researchers Did
Researchers reported on a 4-year-old boy who developed severe complications, including purpura fulminans and deep vein thrombosis, after a chickenpox infection.
What They Found
The boy presented with purpura on his legs 10 days after chickenpox, with lab tests revealing disseminated intravascular coagulation, low protein C and S activities, and anti-protein S antibodies. He was treated with protein C infusions, fresh frozen plasma, regular hyperbaric oxygen sessions, surgery, and unfractionated heparin for deep vein thrombosis that developed 14 days after the purpuric lesions began.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
This case suggests that chickenpox can lead to serious complications like purpura fulminans and deep vein thrombosis in children, linked to issues with blood clotting proteins. It highlights the importance for Canadian healthcare providers to consider specialized blood tests for children with severe chickenpox complications to help guide appropriate treatment, which may include therapies like hyperbaric oxygen.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
As a single case report, these findings cannot be generalized to a larger population of patients.