Category Archives: Treatment
Impact of opioid substitution therapy on antiretroviral therapy outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected people who inject drugs (PWID) frequently encounter barriers accessing and remaining on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Some studies have suggested that opioid substitution therapy (OST) could...
Efficacy and safety of contemporary dual-drug antiretroviral regimens as first-line treatment or as a simplification strategy: A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Some guidelines recommended two-drug antiretroviral therapies as alternative regimens to triple therapy in selected patients with the aim of reducing drug burden and toxicity and preserving future treatment options....
Information and communication technologies for adherence to antiretroviral treatment in adults with HIV/AIDS
INTRODUCTION: Information and communication technologies support interventions directed at the prevention of HIV transmission and patient monitoring by promoting improved accessibility and quality of care. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy...
Adverse-drug-reaction-related hospitalisations in developed and developing countries: A review of prevalence and contributing factors
Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are one of the leading causes of hospital admissions and morbidity in developed countries and represent a substantial burden on healthcare delivery systems. However, there is...
Retention of HIV-infected children in the first 12 months of anti-retroviral therapy and predictors of attrition in resource limited settings: A systematic review
Current UNAIDS goals aimed to end the AIDS epidemic set out to ensure that 90% of all people living with HIV know their status, 90% initiate and continue life-long anti-retroviral...
Effectiveness and safety of oral HIV preexposure prophylaxis for all populations
OBJECTIVE: Preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) offers a promising new approach to HIV prevention. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the evidence for use of oral PrEP containing tenofovir disoproxil fumarate as...
The effectiveness of mobile phone text messaging in improving medication adherence for patients with chronic diseases: A systematic review
CONTEXT: Medication non-adherence is a commonly observed problem in the self-administration of treatment, regardless of the disease type. Text messaging reminders, as electronic reminders, provide an opportunity to improve medication...
Disparities in the magnitude of human immunodeficiency virus-related opportunistic infections between high and low/middle-income countries: Is highly active antiretroviral therapy changing the trend?
Opportunistic infections (OIs) cause significant morbidity/mortality in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals globally. Disparities between high-income countries (HICs) and low/middle-income countries (LMICs) in the magnitude of HIV-related OIs in pre-highly...
Improving engagement in the HIV care cascade: A systematic review of interventions involving people living with HIV/AIDS as peers
Improving patient engagement in HIV care is critical for maximizing the impact of antiretroviral therapy (ART). We conducted a systematic review of studies that used HIV-positive peers to bolster linkage,...
Adverse events associated with abacavir use in HIV-infected children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Concerns exist about the toxicity of drugs used in the implementation of large-scale antiretroviral programmes, and documentation of antiretroviral toxicity is essential. We did a systematic review and meta-analysis...
