To a new pediatric clinician at home, Varicella is something you probably had yourself as a child, and something you hear about in class, or read in a book. When our class of 40-something students at Vanderbilt was asked if we had seen a case of varicella in clinic, none of us raised our hands! But here in Guatemala, it’s very common. Occasionally kids get one dose of the vaccine, but most kids don’t get any. Recently, it seems, a wave of it hit the local schools.
On my first day at the clinic, a girl came into the clinic with a fever, headache, vomiting, and a few hundred vesicles and papules all over her body. I checked for complications, and she was fine. We sent her home with some acetaminophen, and told the mom to wash her hands before touching the baby (that's another story, but handwashing here may require some improvement).
I was working with a Guatemalan medical student, in her 4th year. When I told her it was my first case of Varicella, she smiled and asked (kindly, not making fun) if I wanted to grab my camera. No HIPPA laws here… But I thought about it, and realized that as time goes on, there won't be too many more chances to see chicken pox at home. It’s truly amazing how quickly we have eradicated this disease from the pediatric population at home, though. I feel strangely good knowing that after seeing this girl helped me to be able to recognize it in case I ever encounter the disease at home.
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