Herpes Zóster en el adulto mayor

Abstract

The varicella-zoster virus is a double-stranded DNA virus from the herpesvirus family. It is responsible for two conditions; the first, which typically occurs in childhood, is known as chickenpox; following a subsequent reactivation, herpes zoster (HZ), commonly referred to as shingles, develops. This latter condition primarily affects older adults due to a gradual decline in their immune response. It affects 15% of individuals with a standard immune system, while this percentage increases to 50% in individuals with an immunocompromised system. This literature review presents the disease’s prevalence, risk factors, complications, therapeutic approach, and nursing interventions, for which a search for scientific documents was conducted in various databases using search equations between the years 2019-2023 in Spanish, English, and German. As for the main findings, the worldwide incidence of this condition is approximately 6 cases per 1000 person-years. Additionally, advanced age and female gender were the most significant associated factors. Regarding complications, postherpetic neuralgia was the most common. The first-choice treatment for combatting herpes zoster is antiviral drugs, mainly acyclovir. Furthermore, nursing interventions for this condition should focus on health promotion, prevention, recovery, and patient rehabilitation.