Acyclovir treatment of varicella-zoster virus infection in the compromised host. 1984

J D Meyers, and J C Wade, and D H Shepp, and B Newton

Forty marrow transplant patients were treated with acyclovir for varicella-zoster virus infection. Median duration of virus positivity and of new lesion formation was 2.1 and 2.2 days, and pustulation , crusting, and healing occurred at medians of 3.5, 8, and 28 days, respectively. Acute pain ceased at a median of 7 days, though seven patients had later recurrence of pain and eight had pain that persisted for more than 28 days. Three patients had recurrence of infection within 4 days after the end of treatment and were successfully treated in each case with a second course of acyclovir. Side effects were minimal. These data compare favorably with published data both from the treatment of normal persons with acyclovir and treatment of normal persons with acyclovir and treatment of immunocompromised patients with vidarabine, and they indicate that acyclovir is safe and effective for the treatment of varicella-zoster virus infection in the severely immunocompromised host.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007165 Immunosuppression Therapy Deliberate prevention or diminution of the host's immune response. It may be nonspecific as in the administration of immunosuppressive agents (drugs or radiation) or by lymphocyte depletion or may be specific as in desensitization or the simultaneous administration of antigen and immunosuppressive drugs. Antirejection Therapy,Immunosuppression,Immunosuppressive Therapy,Anti-Rejection Therapy,Therapy, Anti-Rejection,Therapy, Antirejection,Anti Rejection Therapy,Anti-Rejection Therapies,Antirejection Therapies,Immunosuppression Therapies,Immunosuppressions,Immunosuppressive Therapies,Therapies, Immunosuppression,Therapies, Immunosuppressive,Therapy, Immunosuppression,Therapy, Immunosuppressive
D008297 Male Males
D011183 Postoperative Complications Pathologic processes that affect patients after a surgical procedure. They may or may not be related to the disease for which the surgery was done, and they may or may not be direct results of the surgery. Complication, Postoperative,Complications, Postoperative,Postoperative Complication
D012008 Recurrence The return of a sign, symptom, or disease after a remission. Recrudescence,Relapse,Recrudescences,Recurrences,Relapses
D002648 Child A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL. Children
D005260 Female Females
D006562 Herpes Zoster An acute infectious, usually self-limited, disease believed to represent activation of latent varicella-zoster virus (HERPESVIRUS 3, HUMAN) in those who have been rendered partially immune after a previous attack of CHICKENPOX. It involves the SENSORY GANGLIA and their areas of innervation and is characterized by severe neuralgic pain along the distribution of the affected nerve and crops of clustered vesicles over the area. (From Dorland, 27th ed) Shingles,Zona,Zoster
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000212 Acyclovir A GUANOSINE analog that acts as an antimetabolite. Viruses are especially susceptible. Used especially against herpes. Acycloguanosine,9-((2-Hydroxyethoxy)methyl)guanine,Aci-Sanorania,Acic,Aciclobeta,Aciclostad,Aciclovir,Aciclovir Alonga,Aciclovir-Sanorania,Acifur,Acipen Solutab,Acivir,Activir,Acyclo-V,Acyclovir Sodium,Antiherpes Creme,Avirax,Cicloferon,Clonorax,Cusiviral,Genvir,Herpetad,Herpofug,Herpotern,Herpoviric,Isavir,Laciken,Mapox,Maynar,Milavir,Opthavir,Supraviran,Viclovir,Vipral,Virax-Puren,Virherpes,Virmen,Virolex,Virupos,Virzin,Wellcome-248U,Zoliparin,Zovirax,Zyclir,aciclovir von ct,Aci Sanorania,Aciclovir Sanorania,Acyclo V,Alonga, Aciclovir,Sodium, Acyclovir,Solutab, Acipen,Virax Puren,ViraxPuren,Wellcome 248U,Wellcome248U
D000293 Adolescent A person 13 to 18 years of age. Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths

Related Publications

J D Meyers, and J C Wade, and D H Shepp, and B Newton
October 2016, Transplant infectious disease : an official journal of the Transplantation Society,
J D Meyers, and J C Wade, and D H Shepp, and B Newton
April 1984, The New England journal of medicine,
J D Meyers, and J C Wade, and D H Shepp, and B Newton
May 2021, Journal of infection and chemotherapy : official journal of the Japan Society of Chemotherapy,
J D Meyers, and J C Wade, and D H Shepp, and B Newton
February 1994, Archives of disease in childhood,
J D Meyers, and J C Wade, and D H Shepp, and B Newton
July 1986, Acta virologica,
J D Meyers, and J C Wade, and D H Shepp, and B Newton
October 1999, The new microbiologica,
J D Meyers, and J C Wade, and D H Shepp, and B Newton
January 1996, Advances in experimental medicine and biology,
J D Meyers, and J C Wade, and D H Shepp, and B Newton
September 1980, Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy,
J D Meyers, and J C Wade, and D H Shepp, and B Newton
November 1998, Ugeskrift for laeger,
Copied contents to your clipboard!