COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF ACYCLOVIR FOR VARICELLA INFECTIONS IN IMMUNOCOMPETENT PATIENTS - A BRITISH PERSPECTIVE

We reviewed data on a reportable disease in Tayside, Scotland, from 19 88 to 1992 to estimate numbers of patients with chickenpox and the fre quency of complications requiring hospitalization in adults. Average c ost-effectiveness of acyclovir in dollars per day of symptoms avoided is $70 for children with chickenpox, $170 for adults with chickenpox, and $18 for adults with shingles. If acyclovir treatment is 50% effect ive at reducing admissions, the implied value is $35,262 per admission avoided, whereas data on prevention of postherpetic neuralgia suggest that treating shingles with acyclovir costs $2125 per case of posther petic neuralgia avoided. We conclude that acyclovir treatment of patie nts with shingles is much more cost-effective than unselected acyclovi r treatment of adults or children with chickenpox.