Wang Liu, Lan Xiaoxiao, Lan Zhixuan, Xu Shengrong, He Ruilin, Jiang Zongbin
Department of Pain Medicine, The Second Affliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
Front Med (Lausanne). 2024 Nov 7;11:1466214. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1466214. eCollection 2024.
The varicella-zoster virus (VZV) can cause herpes zoster (HZ), which may progress to postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), leading to severe inflammatory responses and pain.
This study investigates the relationship between pain duration characteristics and pain intensity in patients with herpes zoster-related pain, hypothesizing that persistent pain correlates with higher pain intensity compared to intermittent pain.
A retrospective study was conducted at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, China. Data from patients treated for herpes zoster-related pain between January 2019 and February 2024 were analyzed. Pain intensity was measured using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS-11), and pain duration was categorized as intermittent or persistent. Multivariate regression models were used to assess the association between pain duration and intensity, adjusting for potential confounders.
A total of 840 patients were included. Persistent pain was significantly associated with higher NRS-11 scores compared to intermittent pain ( = 0.71, 95% CI 0.50-0.91, < 0.001). Subgroup analyses showed that persistent pain was associated with higher pain intensity in both acute HZ and PHN patients (HZ: = 0.71, 95% CI 0.45-0.96, < 0.001; PHN: = 0.76, 95% CI 0.40-1.13, < 0.001). Inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cell count, were positively correlated with pain intensity.
Pain duration significantly impacts pain intensity in HZ patients. Considering pain duration is crucial for effective pain management. Further research should explore the mechanisms underlying persistent pain to develop better treatment strategies.
水痘-带状疱疹病毒（VZV）可引起带状疱疹（HZ），后者可能进展为带状疱疹后神经痛（PHN），导致严重的炎症反应和疼痛。
本研究调查带状疱疹相关性疼痛患者的疼痛持续时间特征与疼痛强度之间的关系，假设与间歇性疼痛相比，持续性疼痛与更高的疼痛强度相关。
在中国广西医科大学第二附属医院进行了一项回顾性研究。分析了2019年1月至2024年2月期间接受带状疱疹相关性疼痛治疗的患者的数据。使用数字评定量表（NRS-11）测量疼痛强度，疼痛持续时间分为间歇性或持续性。采用多变量回归模型评估疼痛持续时间与强度之间的关联，并对潜在混杂因素进行校正。
共纳入840例患者。与间歇性疼痛相比，持续性疼痛与更高的NRS-11评分显著相关（β = 0.71，95%CI 0.50-0.91，P < 0.001）。亚组分析显示，在急性HZ和PHN患者中，持续性疼痛均与更高的疼痛强度相关（HZ：β = 0.71，95%CI 0.45-0.96，P < 0.001；PHN：β = 0.76，95%CI 0.40-1.13，P < 0.001）。炎症标志物，如C反应蛋白（CRP）和白细胞计数，与疼痛强度呈正相关。
疼痛持续时间对HZ患者的疼痛强度有显著影响。考虑疼痛持续时间对有效疼痛管理至关重要。进一步的研究应探索持续性疼痛的潜在机制，以制定更好的治疗策略。
