Herpes zoster (HZ) is a frequent cutaneous condition with a wide range of clinical manifestations, treatment choices, complication rates, and preventive methods, all of which are riddled with dogma. Have you ever been contacted by a panicked staff or family member at an inpatient appointment for HZ, fearing that a pregnant, elderly, or baby contact may be ‘infected’ if they go too close? Have any of your patients ever approached you about the possibility of having HZ twice, or claimed to have frequent recurrences’? In what time frame should antiviral treatment be used? Is there evidence to support the use of prednisone or gabapentin in the treatment of acute HZ?
Who should be immunised against HZ, and what are the risks and benefits? These and other complex but common scenarios will be examined in case-based format, using clinical and viral mechanistic clues, as well as updated treatment and prevention guidelines, to provide a modern HZ case management compendium that is inclusive of the diverse age and health populations now presenting with this condition.
Reference:https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40257-019-00483-1
