title: The burden of Herpes Zoster: a prospective population based study.
abstract: We analysed prospectively the medical, societal and economic burden among patients from 18 general practices in East London, serving 158,716 patients who presented to their general practitioners with acute Herpes Zoster over an 8-month period. One hundred and eighty-six patients with HZ were seen by GPs during the study period, of whom 96 were referred, 70 enrolled and 65 completed. PHN occurred in 13.4% of patients. The average overall cost of HZ in the first 6 months was calculated at pound524 per patient. Medical costs were highest in those aged over 65 and societal costs highest in those aged under 65 years.
authors.affiliation: Skin Virus Laboratory, Institute for Cell and Molecular Science, 25-29 Ashfield Street, E1 1BB, UK.
authors.forename: Fiona T
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leedham-Green
authors.forename: Eleri
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: W John
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Edmunds
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Breuer
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D008131:London; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome