TABLE 3.
Risk factors for unfavorable outcome in neurological complications from VZV
| Risk factor | Favorable (n = 25) | Unfavorable (n = 37) | OR (univariate model) | OR (final multivariate model) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years | 32 [23–48] | 68 [48–81] | 1.1 (1.0–1.1, p < .001) | – |
| Prior‐to‐infection mRS | 0 [0–0] | 1 [0–3] | 3.3 (1.7–8.1, p = .002) | 3.1 (1.4–8.8, p = .012) |
| Immunosuppression, n (%) | 7 (28) | 17 (46) | 2.2 (0.8–6.8, p = .158) | – |
| Fever, n (%) | 17 (68) | 14 (38) | 0.3 (0.1–0.8, p = .022) | |
| Altered mental status, n (%) | 4 (16) | 18 (49) | 5.0 (1.5–19.6, p = .012) | – |
| CRP, mg/L | 1.4 [0–5.5] | 5 [0.6–18.6] | 1.1 (1.0–1.1, p = .079) | – |
| CSF protein level, g/L | 0.9 [0.7–1.3] | 0.9 [0.7–1.5] | 1.2 (0.9–2.0, p = .305) | – |
| CSF IFN level, IU/L | 0 [0–0]) | 0 [0–3] | 1.0 (0.99–NA, p = .461) | – |
| Meningitis Group, n (%) | 19 (76) | 6 (16) | – | – |
| CNS Group, n (%) | 4 (16) | 18 (49) | 14.3 (3.8–66.8, p < .001) | 6.2 (1.3–33.3, p = .026) |
| PNS Group, n (%) | 2 (8) | 13 (35) | 20.6 (4.2–159.1, p = .001) | 21.6 (4.0–181.8, p = 0.001) |
Abbreviations: CNS, central nervous system; CRP, C‐reactive protein; CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; IFN, interferon; IQR, interquartiles 25–75; mRS, modified Rankin scale; OR, odd‐ratio; PNS, peripheral nervous system; VZV, varicella zoster virus. Unfavorable outcome was defined as mortality or incomplete recovery (any persistent symptom or sequelae). Descriptive statistics were obtained by reporting median and interquartile range [IQR 25–75] for continuous variables, while frequencies and proportions for categorical variables, as appropriate.