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Variations in Practice Patterns: Antiviral Drug Use in Hospitalized Patients with Herpes Infections

To whom correspondence should be addressed at the Department of Health Policy and Administration, School of Public Health, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1501 McGavran-Greenberg Hall, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7400

Kit N. Simpson

Department of Health Policy and Administration, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina

John E. Paul

Department of Health Policy and Administration, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina

This study describes patterns of antiviral drug use for patients hospitalized with chickenpox, herpes simplex, and herpes zoster infections, and also for a subgroup of herpes patients with severe infections (systemic in fections, eye infections, encephalitis, hemorrhagic pneumonitis, and other severe conditions). Our findings demonstrate that there is great deal of variation in the use of antiviral drugs for these herpes patients, and that much of this variation is apparently unrelated to medical indications for antiviral drug use. Instead, pat terns of use are associated with patient characteristics (age, race) and with hospital characteristics (location, teaching status, number of beds). Because these drugs are effective when used properly, treatment guidelines and protocols may be needed so that improved drug use will produce better patient outcomes.

American Journal of Medical Quality, Vol. 11, No. 1, 33-42 (1996)
DOI: 10.1177/0885713x9601100106


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