RESUMEN
to determine the frequency and to describe the clinical spectrum of serious and common chickenpox complications in immunocompetent adults from December 2000 to August 2001, this study was carried out at the Jordanian Military Hospital in Freetown, Sierra Leone. A total number of 123 immunocompetent adults with chickenpox were hospitalized. the following tests were conducted on each patient: full blood count, liver enzymes, blood gases, chest radiographs and skin swab cultures. Daily clinical and laboratory evaluations were conducted on all patients looking for complications and management of those complications. Results almost half of the patients were 18-26 years old. sixteen patients [13%] developed complications and all these patients recovered with treatment. The most common [43.8%] complication was respiratory tract involvement followed by skin bacterial super infection [25%] other less frequent complications included gastrointestinal manifestations, encephalitis, mild hepatitis and mild thrombocytopenia all adult patients with chickenpox should be hospitalized in the early stage of their disease and should receive appropriate therapy to reduce the incidence of complications