Drugs
Dosage
Adverse Effects
Remarks
Acyclovir
Neonatal CNS disease
20 mg/kg/dose IV tds x 21 days
Neonatal skin, eye or mouth disease
20 mg/kg/dose IV tds x 14 days
Outside neonatal period - CNS disease
10 mg/kg/dose IV tds x 14 days
Severe gingivostomatitis
5-10 mg/kg/dose IV tds x 14 days
Mild gingivostomatitis & genital herpes
20 mg/kg/day PO tds x 7-14 days (max: 400 mg/dose)
Phlebitis, renal toxicity, nausea, vomiting, rash, neutropenia
Drug of choice for Herpes simplex 1 & 2
Foscarnet
120 mg/kg/d IV in 2-3 divided doses till infection resolves
Renal toxicity, electrolyte abnormalities in calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, seizures, cardiac arrhythmia's, elevated liver transaminases
Used for acyclovir resistant HSV infection
Valacyclovir
1 gm twice daily PO for 7-10 days for genital herpes in adolescents
Renal toxicity. Other side effects as of acyclovir, nausea, vomiting, thrombotic microangiopathy
Data in children is limited
Famciclovir
500 mg PO BD x 7 days for recurrent mucocutaneous herpes in adolescents
Renal toxicity, GI disturbances, rash, confusion, hallucinations, neutropenia, elevated liver enzymes.
Data limited in children