NCT04258930

Occlusion vs Standard Treatment for the Treatment of Herpes Zoster

Randomized Comparative Open Trial of Occlusive Therapy With a Hydrocolloid or Silicone Versus Conventional Drying Treatment for the Local Care of Acute Lesions Caused by Herpes Zoster.

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 36 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Fundación Nacional para la Enseñanza y la Investigación de la Dermatología A.C. · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This study evaluates the addition of occlusive dressings (hydrocolloids) or topical silicone gel in the treatment of shingles (herpes zoster). One third of the participants will receive a hydrocolloid occlusive dressing, one third will receive the topical silicone gel and one third will receive the current treatment of the rash consisting of drying solutions (soaks).

Detailed description

Herpes zoster (HZ), also known shingles, is a viral disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus. It is considered a local reactivation of varicella (chicken pox). The rash of herpes zoster is characterized by vesicles that appear following a single dermatome (the territory that is innervated by one spinal nerve). These vesicles may be very painful and cause discomfort due to draining and crusting. When a person becomes sick with shingles healthcare professionals prescribe systemic (oral) treatment with antivirals (e.g. acyclovir) and pain medication according to the type and severity. To treat the local lesions caused by shingles, over the centuries, patients have been treated with drying solutions and drying powders. This practice has been passed on through the years without any evidence supporting its effectiveness, in all likelihood due to the fact that the rash is self-limited to 2 to 3 weeks. Recently, new evidence has shown that the vesicles that appear with the shingles rash are not superficial but involve deeper areas of the skin and should be considered partial thickness wounds. Since 1962, it has become clear that partial thickness wounds benefit from occlusive therapy (keeping wounds closed and avoiding drying) such as dressings and occlusive gels that keep the wound wet rather than allowing it to dry. In this clinical trial the investigators believe that given this information, using occlusive therapy with a hydrocolloid dressing or a silicone-based gel may heal the rash of herpes zoster, decrease pain and improve the quality of life, much faster than the treatment currently used of drying the area with powders and solutions.

Conditions

• Herpes Zoster

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Aluminum sulphate and calcium acetate drying soaks	Dilute one envelope of the powder in 500 ml of clean cold water and apply for 10 minutes every 8 hours until completely healed.
DEVICE	Topical sterile silicone gel for wounds	Apply a thick layer of silicone gel to all open areas every 8 hours until completely healed.
DEVICE	Hydrocolloid dressing	Apply enough hydrocolloid dressings to cover all open areas and change every 2 to 3 days once the dressing becomes saturated (starts to drain around the borders).

Timeline

• Start date: 2020-02-26
• Primary completion: 2022-01-31
• Completion: 2022-01-31
• First posted: 2020-02-06
• Last updated: 2020-02-28

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Mexico