Abstract
Various treatments have been used to manage post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN). Safe and effective therapies to prevent PHN are needed. A clinical trial involving 152 patients diagnosed with acute herpes Zoster (HZ) was conducted to determine whether short-course acyclovir therapy (800 mg five times a day for four days) can alleviate HZ-associated pain and prevent post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN). The patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 had a rash with a duration of less than 72 hours and Group 2 had a rash with a duration of more than 72 hours. To assess PHN, the patients categorized and assessed the severity of their symptoms using a four-point verbal rating scale (VRS). By the fourth week, 134 out of 152 patients (88.2%) had complete pain response (CPR). Of these, 68 patients (89.5%) were from Group 1 and 66 from Group 2 (86.8%). After four weeks, the mean VRS scores had changed significantly in both groups compared to the scores at the beginning of study (p = 0.001), but there was no difference between the two groups (0.88 ± 0.66 Vs. 0.94 ± 0.72; p = 0.66) After three months no differences were observed in the treatment results between the two groups (0.51 ± 0.13 Vs.0.54 ± 0.19; p = 0.77). Short-course acyclovir therapy is an effective treatment for zoster and its efficacy in patients with a rash duration of more than 72 hours is similar to that in patients with rash duration of less than 72 hours.
Highlights
Various treatments have been used to manage post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN)
Patients who presented within the day of the onset of rash were enrolled in Group 1 (G1), and patients who presented after three days were enrolled in Group 2 (G2)
A total of 152 patients participated in the study, 76 of whom were included in Group 1 and 76 of whom were included in Group 2
Summary
Various treatments have been used to manage post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN). Methodology: A clinical trial involving 152 patients diagnosed with acute herpes Zoster (HZ) was conducted to determine whether shortcourse acyclovir therapy (800 mg five times a day for four days) can alleviate HZ-associated pain and prevent post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN). Conclusion: Short-course acyclovir therapy is an effective treatment for zoster and its efficacy in patients with a rash duration of more than 72 hours is similar to that in patients with rash duration of less than 72 hours. An accurate estimate of the frequency, duration, and clinical importance of PHN after a single episode of herpes zoster would be helpful in interpreting studies on the prevention of PHN and in counselling patients about the risk of long-term pain after acute episodes of herpes zoster. An analogue of 2′-deoxyguanosine, has been proved to have an in-vitro antiviral activity against VZV [7].Since its introduction to medical treatment in 1983, acyclovir has become the most widely prescribed antiviral drug in the world [8,9]
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