pox • Chicken pox is also dangerous to persons taking steroids or other immunosuppressant drugs and to children with immune mechanism deficiencies, which hinder the child's ability to fight infectious diseases. If such a child develops chicken pox or is exposed to it, call your doctor. • Even if a child has already been exposed to someone with chicken pox, prevent any further exposure. The longer the exposure is, the more severe the case of chicken pox will be. • If the pocks become infected (characterized by increasing redness, soreness, and formation of pus), call your doctor. • The lymph nodes of the neck, armpits, groin, and back of the skull ordinarily swell with chicken pox; however, if they become red and tender, they may be infected. Report this to your doctor. • Do not apply calamine lotion with phenol. • When your child is bathed, pat the skin dry without breaking the blisters or disturbing the scabs to avoid scarring. • If spontaneous bruises (bruises not caused by injuries) appear, or if ruptured blood vessels appear under the skin, see your doctor. MEDICAL TREATMENT If pocks have become infected, your doctor will usually culture material from the infected pocks and will treat your child with oral antibiotics for five to ten days. (Antibiotics do not influence the course of chicken pox. however: they work only against the secondary infection.) If there are signs of encephalitis, your child will probably be hospitalized for tests and treatment. Spontaneous bleeding under the skin may De treated with oral medications, or your doctor may order hospitaliza If a child at high risk is exposed to chicken pox, your doctor will Probably give him or her an injection of zoster immune globulin. RELATED TOPICS: Bruises: Encephalitis: Rashes; Reye's syndrome Emergency Quick Reference Choking SYMPTOMS • Inability to breathe • Inability to cry out or speak • Skin turns blue IMPORTANT • If an object completely blocks the air passage, you have only a few minutes to reestablish an airway before brain damage or death occurs. EMERGENCY TREATMENT FOR AN INFANT 1. Immediately call the police or paramedic squad for help. 2. Give the infant one minute to cough up the object If unsuccessful ... 3. Lay the baby face down on your forearm, with your hand supporting his head. The baby's head should be lower than his chest 4. Using the heel of your hand, give four quick blows to the baby's back between the shoulder blades. 5. Place your free hand on the back of his head and, holding him between your forearms, turn him face up, with his head still lower than his body. 6. Put two fingertips on the baby's chest between the nipples. Press quickly and fairly hard four times. 7 Repeat the cycle of four blows and four presses for as long as the baby is still choking. Don't give up. If breathing stops, begin mouthtomouth resuscitation once the airway is clear. EMERGENCY TREATMENT FOR AN OLDER CHILD 1. Immediately call the police or paramedic squad for help. infectiosum