This is for our pain providers.
Published in Br J Dermatol. 2014 Dec 18
Authors: Hiom S et al
Herpes zoster reactivation, shingles, affects 0.2% of the population 1 and complications include: secondary bacterial infection, postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), ulceration and scarring, pneumonitis, hepatitis, Ramsey-Hunt syndrome, meningoencephalitis and paralysis. PHN occurs in 10 -15% of patients following an episode of shingles, with the greatest risk in the elderly.
The risk of PHN can be reduced by early treatment at the onset of the cutaneous eruption with antivirals, amitriptyline, opioid analgesics or oral gabapentin.