Ibuprofen, Pox Lesion Connected Doctors Caution Against Use Of Aspirin, Substitute

A 4-year-old North Idaho boy whose chickenpox led to the formation of a flesh-destroying bacteria had taken ibuprofen, a common aspirin substitute, health officials said Monday.

Because of this case and several others in the Seattle area, doctors caution against treating chickenpox with ibuprofen.

A Boise boy also is recovering from a chickenpox lesion that became infected with flesh-destroying bacteria, called necrotizing fasciitis. It is unclear whether the Boise youth had taken ibuprofen.

The North Idaho boy remains at Children’s Hospital and Medical Center in Seattle, where he underwent exploratory surgery last Thursday. He had spent 10 days at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane before being flown to Seattle.

“The boy from Idaho is our 13th case in the last year,” said Dean Forbes, a Children’s Hospital spokesman. Contrary to earlier reports from the hospital, the youngster did not suffer tissue loss as a result of last week’s surgery, Forbes said.

On Monday, the boy was listed in satisfactory condition. His parents have asked that their name and hometown be withheld.

A dozen Seattle area children have suffered from necrotizing fasciitis. All of those illnesses began with chickenpox.

King County health officials are advising parents not to give ibuprofen to children with chickenpox. The use of aspirin for chickenpox or influenza has been linked to Reye’s syndrome, a potentially fatal illness.

A Children’s Hospital spokesman said acetaminophen should be used instead.

However, Coeur d’Alene pediatrician Dr. Terence Neff said no aspirin substitutes are proved to reduce fever associated with chickenpox. Furthermore, anti-inflammatory agents such as Tylenol and ibuprofen actually can increase the time it takes to recover from chickenpox, Neff said.

Regardless, he said, the flesheating bacteria is quite rare.

“By no means do the majority of children with chickenpox have a great risk of this happening,” Neff said.

The disease is not typically spread through personal contact, according to the Seattle-King County Department of Public Health.

The Boise boy remained in critical condition at St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center over the weekend, according to a physician. Hospital officials declined to discuss the patient’s condition on Monday.

Jesse Greenblatt, Idaho state epidemiologist, said an official warning against treating chickenpox symptoms with ibuprofen is not warranted.

Necrotizing fasciitis is appearing more frequently in the Northwest. It typically occurs when cuts or sores become infected with virulent Group A strep or staph bacteria, which release toxins. The toxins destroy flesh and muscle tissue.

Parents are advised to keep children’s skin clean, trimming fingernails to keep kids from scratching chickenpox sores.

Warning signs of necrotizing fasciitis include a fever three or four days after the onset of chickenpox, swelling or redness that spreads rapidly from pox lesions, and painful sores. According to Children’s Hospital, chickenpox sores should be itchy, but not painful, and no larger than the size of a quarter.

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