Issue No. 21

Underdosing of Antiretrovirals in HIV-Infected Children

Although many studies have shown that antiretroviral treatment helps HIV-infected children live longer and healthier lives, an article in the May 20 issue of the British Medical Journal shows that even children with access to treatment do not receive adequate doses of antiretroviral drugs. Researchers from the U.K.-based collaborative HIV pediatric study (CHIPS) analyzed antiretroviral dosing for 598 HIV-infected children age 2 to 12 years. The group found that, overall, HIV-infected U.K. and Irish children had been underdosed with antiretrovirals in the past 9 years. Reasons for underdosing included insufficient pharmacokinetic data to guide dosing for children, dosing guidelines that resulted in different and inconsistent doses depending on whether dose was based on weight or surface area, and failure to adjust doses as children grew.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services publishes the Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in Pediatric HIV Infection to help health care providers treat HIV-infected children. The guidelines are available for download at the AIDSinfo Web site, or call 1-800-448-0440 to order by phone.

HIV/AIDS Research Reports

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) recently revised the Research Report on HIV/AIDS, part of a series of NIDA reports that explain research findings in plain language. This report focuses on the link between drug abuse and HIV/AIDS and is geared toward parents, teachers, counselors, school nurses, health professionals, and anyone interested in learning more about HIV/AIDS.

To obtain hard copies of NIDA’s Research Report on HIV/AIDS, visit the National Clearinghouse on Alcohol and Drug Information Web site at http://www.health.org/, or call 1-800-729-6686. The inventory number for this publication is PHD1128.  

Also check out NIDA’s InfoFacts on Drug Abuse and AIDS. This publication presents an overview of the relationship between drug abuse and HIV/AIDS.  It is intended for general audiences and includes information on infection rates and prevention.

ClinicalTrials.gov Info

Please send comments or suggestions to ContactUs@aidsinfo.nih.gov

ISSN 1558-3228