Acyclovir in severe herpes virus infections.

Forty-five patients with severe herpes virus infections were treated with acyclovir intravenously for five days. Nine patients had varicella (eight of whom were immuno- or myelocompromised), 23 had herpes zoster (14 compromised patients) and 13 had herpes simplex (nine compromised patients). No patient died from the viral infection and in eight of the patients the beneficial effect of acyclovir was beyond doubt. Six of these patients had herpes simplex infections. In 21 patients acyclovir was probably beneficial, whereas in 16 patients the effect was doubtful or absent. As expected, in patients with established neurologic damage there was no effect. Except for transient elevation in transaminases in one patient and occasional infusion thrombophlebitis, no toxicity of acyclovir was encountered in this series.