Abstract

GOLDSTEIN, Gustavo et al. Aciclovir oral para profilaxis posexposición familiar a varicela. Arch. argent. pediatr. [online]. 2004, vol.102, n.1, pp.13-17. ISSN 0325-0075.

Objective. To determine whether administration of acyclovir during the incubation period of varicellacan prevent the development of disease. Population, material & methods. Oral acyclovir (20-40mg/kg/d) was administered during five days to 26 children, nine days after the initial exposure to a household contact with varicella. Development of clinical disease and seroconversion in this group of children were compared to a control group of 12 children exposed to varicella zoster virus who did not receive prophylactic acyclovir. The percentage of patients who presented seroconversion after receiving acyclovir was evaluated by immunofluorescence. Results. None of the children receiving prophylaxisdeveloped varicella (0/26) while all the children not receiving prophylaxis developed the disease (12/12). Taking into account all the patients (26) that received acyclovir, independently of the administered dose, 7 were lost (26.9%). Of the remaining 19, 17 presented seroconversion (89.5%, 95% confidence interval 66.9-98.7%) and 2 did not (10.5%). Conclusion. Prophylactic administration of oral acyclovir prevented development of varicella but did not alter seroconversion rates in susceptible children exposed to household contacts. None of the patients that received prophylactic treatment with acyclovir (independently of the administereddose) developed clinical varicella, while 89.5% ofthem (excluding lost cases) had serological evidence of varicella-zoster infection.

Keywords : Acyclovir; Prophylaxis; Varicella.

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