TABLE 3.
Determinants of VZV viremia in patients with acute zoster
| Variable | Category | Median viral load | Sample size | No. (row %) of patients
|
P value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viremia positive | Viremia negative | |||||
| Age (yr) | ≤50 | 690 | 55 | 36 (65) | 19 (35) | 0.004a |
| >50 | 1,000 | 75 | 65 (87) | 10 (13) | ||
| Gender | Female | 784 | 64 | 52 (81) | 12 (19) | 0.337 |
| Male | 1,000 | 66 | 49 (74) | 17 (26) | ||
| Immune status | Competent | 720 | 89 | 64 (72) | 25 (28) | 0.066b |
| Compromised | 1,000 | 31 | 28 (90) | 3 (10) | ||
| Inhaled steroids | 1,515 | 10 | 9 (90) | 1 (10) | ||
| Rash age (days) | 0 to 2 | 1,000 | 34 | 29 (85) | 5 (15) | 0.412 |
| 3 to 4 | 640 | 33 | 22 (67) | 11 (33) | ||
| 5 to 6 | 1,030 | 33 | 27 (82) | 6 (18) | ||
| 7 to 8 | 670 | 19 | 14 (74) | 5 (26) | ||
| >8 | 1,665 | 10 | 8 (80) | 2 (20) | ||
| Prodromal pain | Yes | 1,020 | 80 | 64 (80) | 16 (20) | 0.424 |
| No | 680 | 50 | 37 (74) | 13 (16) | ||
| On antivirals | Yes | 1,000 | 99 | 84 (85) | 15 (15) | 0.0005a |
| No | 400 | 31 | 17 (55) | 14 (45) | ||
| VAS | 0 | 2,185 | 8 | 6 (75) | 2 (25) | 0.881 |
| 1 to 2 | 930 | 26 | 22 (85) | 4 (15) | ||
| 3 to 4 | 510 | 23 | 17 (74) | 6 (26) | ||
| 5 to 6 | 690 | 25 | 20 (80) | 5 (20) | ||
| 7 to 8 | 1,140 | 32 | 25 (78) | 7 (22) | ||
| 9 to 10 | 635 | 16 | 11 (69) | 5 (31) | ||
| No. of dermatomes | 0 to 1 | 1,775 | 46 | 36 (78) | 10 (22) | 0.881 |
| >1 | 2,110 | 83 | 64 (77) | 19 (23) | ||
a
Significant at the 1% level.
b
Significant at the 10% level.