Acyclovir Therapy for Herpes Zoster: Advantages and Adverse Effects
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Excerpt
Acyclovir sodium administered intravenously to treat acute herpes zoster in an immunocompromised patient was associated with side effects as described by Sylvester et al in this issue of The Journal.1 The CASE REPORT raises several important questions: Should acyclovir be used for treatment of herpes zoster, and, if so, what dosage is appropriate and what adverse effects can be expected?
Acyclovir is a specific inhibitor of the DNA polymerase of all five members of the human herpesvirus family and thus the drug is potentially useful for treatment of many herpes-virus-associated diseases.
The median sensitivity of herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 2 strains to acyclovir as measured by plaque reduction is 0.4μM.2 Plasma concentrations fivefold higher than this can be attained by ingesting one 200-mg acyclovir capsule. Therefore, it is not surprising that acyclovir is the drug of choice for treatment of primary3 and recurrent4 genital herpes, herpes
Footnotes
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