Table 5.
Association between non‐postherpetic neuralgia complications within 3 months of zoster diagnosis and antiviral use, among immunocompetent cases of zoster unlikely to receive antivirals in hospital (n = 175 800)
| Given antivirals, n (%) | Not given antivirals, n (%) | Fully adjusted HR (95% CI)a | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zoster‐specific complications | |||
| Ramsay Hunt syndrome | 281 (0·3) | 359 (0·5) | 0·52 (0·45–0·62) |
| Disseminated zoster | 1 (0·001) | 2 (0·003) | 0·32 (0·03–3·62) |
| Zoster death | 22 (0·02) | 10 (0·01) | 2·44 (0·81–7·40) |
| Zoster hospitalization | 189 (0·2) | 180 (0·3) | 0·62 (0·50–0·78) |
| All neurologicalb | 474 (0·4) | 496 (0·7) | 0·61 (0·53–0·70) |
| All ocular | 2762 (2·6) | 1746 (2·5) | 0·98 (0·92–1·04) |
| All cutaneousc | 658 (0·6) | 452 (0·6) | 0·88 (0·78–1·00) |
| All visceral | 2627 (2·5) | 1650 (2·4) | 0·99 (0·92–1·05) |
HR, hazard ratio; CI, confidence interval. aCox model with age as the underlying timescale adjusted for sex, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, socioeconomic status, smoking status, body mass index, depression, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, chronic kidney disease, liver disease and diabetes. bNot including Ramsay Hunt syndrome or postherpetic neuralgia. cNot including disseminated zoster.