Abstract
Statement of the Problem: In addition to the patient's pain and disfigurement, many dentists and hygienists are reluctant to treat a patient with an active oral herpes lesion. It is of mutual interest to both patient and the dental staff to find an effective treatment. We report the results of a repetition of a previously published study comparing the outcome of treatment using Abreva (Glaxo Smith Kline, Parsippany NJ) and Viroxyn Professional (Quadex Pharmaceuticals, Salt Lake City, UT) and using untreated cold sores as a control. Methods and Materials: A cohort of people who were naive to the first study (n = 186)a were surveyed and asked to retrospectively report the amount of time their cold sores needed to heal without treatment and how long the pain lasted without treatment. These same questions were then asked of the participant's using a standardized outcome response form to report following treatment with Viroxyn Professional and Abreva. In addition there were participants who were naive to Abreva (n = 55). This cohort was analyzed separately for outcomes using Viroxyn versus untreated cold sores. Results: Participants in both the Abreva and Viroxyn groups reported significant improvement in outcome versus untreated cold sores with Abreva offering a three day advantage over control and Viroxyn offering a seven day advantage over control (all t-tests; all p < 0.001)b. Conclusion: When compared to untreated controls, both use of OTC drugs resulted in a significant reduction in time to healing and time to loss of discomfort. Additionally, Viroxyn offered a significant reduction in time to healing and time to loss of discomfort versus Abreva. When the study metric data were compared for the two separate studies, no differences were found. The outcome of the second study was the same as that of the first. an = number of participants in the study bp = p-value. A p-value of < 0.05 is considered statistically significant. When p = 0.05 or less, there is a 5% chance, or less, that the observed outcome happened by chance.
Highlights
Recurrent herpes labialis usually caused by Herpes Simplex Type-1 (HSV-1) affects approximately 32% of those of school age and 44.6% of adult patients [1]
A new trend in behavior among the young has been identified in that over 70% of primary diagnosis of genital herpes is associated with HSV-1 [3]
Soft and hard scab represent the healing stage and the physical discomfort has typically ended during healing [4,5]
Summary
Recurrent herpes labialis (cold sores) usually caused by Herpes Simplex Type-1 (HSV-1) affects approximately 32% of those of school age and 44.6% of adult patients [1]. A new trend in behavior among the young has been identified in that over 70% of primary diagnosis of genital herpes is associated with HSV-1 [3]. For those with recurrent disease, four lesions per year is typical [4,5] with untreated lesions lasting on average about 10 days [6], but some unfortunate sufferers have been shown to experience 12 to 13 lesions per year [5]. The disease has 6 distinctive stages: 1) prodrome, 2) papule, 3) vesicle, 4) ulcer, 5) soft scab, 6) hard scab [5]. Physical discomfort (pain, itching, burning) is most pronounced during the papule and ulcerative stage with discomfort at its peak during the ulcer stage [6,7,8]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
