Epidemiology and cost of herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia among patients treated in primary care centres in the valencian community of Spain

Table 1 Baseline characteristics of study patients

Variable	n = 130
Age, years, median (range)	63.5 (19-94)
Female gender, n (%)	83 (63.8)
Area of residence
Urban, n (%)	41 (31.5)
Semiurban, n (%)	39 (30)
Rural, n (%)	50 (38.5)
Predisposing clinical conditions†	60 (46.2)
Immunosuppressant* use, n (%)	3 (2.3)
Malignancy, n (%)	12 (9.2)
HIV, n (%)	0
Transplant, n (%)	1 (0.8)
Chronic disease*, n (%)	39 (30)
Trauma/burns/radiotherapy, n (%)	3 (2.3)
Other**	6 (4.6)
Not reflected in clinical history, n (%)	2 (1.5)
Complications†, n (%)	31 (23.8)
Ocular, n (%)	11 (8.5)
Bacterial superinfection, n (%)	7 (5.4)
Dysgeusia, n (%)	4 (3.1)
Hypoacusia, vertigo, tinnitus, n (%)	2 (1.5)
Dissemination, n (%)	2 (1.5)
Involvement of other organs, n (%)	1 (0.8)
Other‡, n (%)	12 (9.2)
Use of antiviral agents, n (%)	119 (91.5)
Time elapsed from symptom onset to diagnosis, days (SD)	6.3 (5.8)

SD: Standard deviation.
HIV: Human immunodeficiency virus.
* Administration of oral or systemic corticosteroids or chemotherapy treatment.
† Each patient may have more than one baseline clinical condition/complication.
* Chronic disease was defined as diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, moderate or severe asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic liver disease, chronic kidney disease, congenital heart disease, and systemic lupus erythematosus.
** Other risk factors refer to multisystem atrophy, major depression, postsurgical stress, influenza, and polysubstance abuse.
‡ Other complications refer to lymphadenopathy, activity limitation, fungal infection in the herpes zoster area, allergic reactions to treatment, weight loss, anorexia, vomiting, and diarrhea.

ISSN: 1471-2334