Effect of Single Intra-cutaneous Injection for Acute Thoracic Herpes Zoster and Incidence of Postherpetic Neuralgia

The therapeutic effect of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is often disappointing and challenging. The role of intra-cutaneous injection of local anesthetic and steroids in preventing PHN remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a single intra-cutaneous injection of ropivacaine plus methylprednisolone on acute thoracic herpes zoster (HZ) pain intensity and duration, eruptive duration, and PHN incidence. A total of 97 patients with acute thoracic HZ diagnosed 1-7  days after the onset of the rash were randomly assigned to receive either 15 mL of 37.5 mg ropivacaine plus 40 mg methylprednisolone (active group, n = 49) or 15 mL of saline (placebo group, n = 48).
Source: Pain Management Nursing - Category: Nursing Authors: Tags: Original Article Source Type: research