Category Archives: Treatment
Responding to her question: A review of the influence of pregnancy on HIV disease progression in the context of expanded access to HAART in sub-Saharan Africa
In 2007, sub-Saharan Africa was home to over half of all women living with HIV. The vast majority of these women are of reproductive age, which raises concerns about the...
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...
Protease inhibitor-containing antiretroviral treatment and tuberculosis: Can rifabutin fill the breach?
OBJECTIVE: To assess how to best manage co-administration of rifabutin (RFB) and human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) protease inhibitor (PI) containing antiretroviral treatment (ART). Recommended for initial anti-tuberculosis treatment, rifampicin...
Structured treatment interruptions (STI) in chronic suppressed HIV infection in adults
BACKGROUND: Although antiretroviral treatment (ART) has led to a decline in morbidity and mortality of HIV-infected patients in developed countries, it has also presented challenges. These challenges include increases in...
The effect on treatment adherence of administering drugs as fixed-dose combinations versus as separate pills: Systematic review and meta-analysis
Administering drugs as fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) versus the same active drugs administered as separate pills is assumed to enhance treatment adherence. We synthesized evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) about...
Treatment of Kaposi’s sarcoma in HIV-1 infected individuals with emphasis on resource poor settings
BACKGROUND: In many countries, Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) is the commonest malignancy among individuals infected with the human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV) and is a cause of substantial morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVES:...
