Nineteen immunocompromised children with varicella were given intravenous acyclovir in dosages of 1000-1500 mg/m2 per day every 8 h for 5-10 days. The effect of treatment was compared with data from a group of patients previously treated with arabinoside cytosine (ara-c). The median times to cessation of new lesion formation, lesion crusting and lesion healing were shorter in the acyclovir-treated group than for ara-c. The time-to-event probability curves for cessation of new lesion formation, lesion crusting and lesion healing were significantly different for the acyclovir and ara-c group. Patients receiving acyclovir experienced no major adverse effects. Anticancer therapy did not require modification in most cases treated with acyclovir. Acyclovir was highly effective and nontoxic when used in the treatment of varicella-zoster infections in children with hematological malignancies being given anticancer treatment in comparison with ara-c therapy.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.