Category Archives: Treatment
Burden of HIV-related CMV retinitis in resource-limited settings: A systematic review
Background. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a late stage opportunistic infection in people living with HIV/AIDS. Lack of ophthalmological diagnostic skills or convenient CMV treatment and increasing access to antiretroviral therapy, have...
The impact of hepatitis C virus coinfection on HIV-related kidney disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: In the era of antiretroviral therapy, non-AIDS complications such as kidney disease are important contributors to morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the impact of hepatitis C coinfection on...
Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in patients starting antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis
In patients with HIV-1 infection who are starting combination antiretroviral therapy (ART), the incidence of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) is not well defined. We did a meta-analysis to establish...
Children facing a family member’s acute illness: A review of intervention studies
BACKGROUND: A review of psycho-educational intervention studies to benefit children adapting to a close (parent, sibling, or grandparent) family member’s serious illness was conducted. OBJECTIVES: To review the literature on...
Virological monitoring and resistance to first-line highly active antiretroviral therapy in adults infected with HIV-1 treated under WHO guidelines: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Antiretroviral-therapy rollout in resource-poor countries is often associated with limited, if any, HIV-RNA monitoring. The effect of variable monitoring on the emergence of resistance after therapy with commonly used drug...
Raltegravir: a review of its use in the management of HIV infection in treatment-experienced patients
Raltegravir (Isentress), an integrase inhibitor, inhibits the insertion of HIV-1 complementary DNA into the host genome. It is indicated in combination with other antiretroviral therapy (ART) agents for the treatment...
Optimal monitoring strategies for guiding when to switch first-line antiretroviral therapy regimens for treatment failure in adults and adolescents living with HIV in low-resource settings
BACKGROUND: One of the critical clinical decisions made in antiretroviral therapy (ART) is when to switch from an initial regimen to another due to treatment failure. This complex process requires...
Screening for HIV: Systematic review to update the 2005 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation
BACKGROUND: A 2005 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) review found good evidence that HIV screening is accurate and that antiretroviral therapy (ART) for immunologically advanced disease is associated with...
A combination drug of abacavir-lamivudine-zidovudine (Trizivir (R)) for treating HIV infection and AIDS
BACKGROUND: The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has become one of the greatest challenges to global public health. In 2007 UNAIDS estimated that 33.2 million people were living with HIV. Currently...
Effectiveness of protease inhibitor monotherapy versus combination antiretroviral maintenance therapy: A meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: The unparalleled success of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) is based on the combination of three drugs from two classes. There is insufficient evidence whether simplification to ritonavir boosted protease...
