The clinical use of intravenous acyclovir.

Acyclovir (acycloguanosine) is a new antiviral compound with activity against certain herpes viruses. Acyclovir is phosphorylated preferentially in virus-infected cells into its active form, acyclovir triphosphate, an inhibitor of viral-induced DNA polymerase. Acyclovir, which possesses an acyclic carbohydrate moiety, also causes premature DNA chain termination. Acyclovir has shown clinical activity against herpes simplex virus (HSV) types 1 and 2 and varicella zoster virus (VZV), but its usefulness in cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, and chronic hepatitis B infections requires further study. In randomized clinical trials of infections caused by HSV and VZV, intravenous acyclovir has been shown to shorten the duration of viral shedding and lesion pain and hasten the resolution of skin lesions, with minimal toxicity.