Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of the included patients.
| Variable | n = 130 |
|---|---|
| Age in years, mean (SD) | 61.1 (17.7) |
| 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) |
| Hypoacusis, 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.
◇We considered the administration of oral or systemic corticosteroids or chemotherapy treatment to constitute immunosuppressant use.
† 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 HZ area, allergic reactions to treatment, weight loss, anorexia, vomiting, and diarrhoea.