HIV Infection - Related Resources

HAART

Complications

• Prophylactic drug therapy is effective in reducing incidence of tuberculosis in HIV infected adults with a positive tuberculin skin test Drugs for Preventing Tuberculosis in HIV Infected Persons.
• Cotrimoxazole is effective in reducing mortality and preventing illness in patients with HIV infection in Africa Cotrimoxazole Prophylaxis for Opportunistic Infections in Adults with HIV.
• There may not be significant differences in the effects of pyrimethamine plus sulfadiazine versus pyrimethamine plus clindamycin or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole on mortality or cure rates in the management of toxoplasmic encephalitis in HIV-infected adults Management of Toxoplasmic Encephalitis in HIV-Infected Adults.
• There is no evidence from randomised controlled trials on the efficacy of interventions for treating AIDS-associated Hodgkin´s lymphoma in treatment-naive adults Interventions for AIDS-Associated Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
• There are insufficient data on the benefit of helminth eradication in HIV-1 and helminth co-infected adults on CD4 decline, clinical staging or mortality, although there may be a benefit in reducing plasma viral load Specialist Breast Care Nurses (Bcns) for Supportive Care of Women with Breast Cancer.
• There is insufficient evidence for the use of antimotility agents and adsorbents in controlling diarrhoea in people with HIV/AIDS Adsorbents for Chronic Diarrhoea in People with HIV/AIDS.
• Antifungal primary prophylaxis with either itraconazole or fluconazole is effective in reducing the incidence of cryptococcal disease in adults with advanced HIV disease but seems not to affect overall mortality Antifungal Prophylaxis for Cryptococcal Disease in Adults with HIV.
• Adjunctive corticosteroids appear to reduce mortality in HIV-infected patients with Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia Adjunctive Corticosteroids for Pneumocystis Jiroveci Pneumonia in Patients with HIV-Infection.
• Ketoconazole, fluconazole, itraconazole and clotrimazole may be effective in the treatment of oropharyngeal candidiasis in adults with HIV infection Treatment of Oropharyngeal Candidiasis Associated with HIV Infection in Adults.

Other drug therapy

• Pre-exposure prophylaxis with oral tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) alone or with TDF + emtricitabine (FTC) appears to reduce the risk of acquiring HIV in high-risk individuals including people in serodiscordant relationships, men who have sex with men and other high risk men and women Antiretroviral Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (Prep) for Preventing HIV in High-Risk Individuals.
• Spermicide nonoxynol-9 is not effective in preventing vaginal acquisition of HIV infection and it may do harm by increasing the frequency of genital lesions Spermicide Nonoxynol-9 for Preventing Vaginal Acquisition of HIV Infection.
• Alitretinoin gel is effective in treating cutaneous KS, PLD is effective treatment for advanced KS and radiotherapy appears effective in treating cutaneous lesions Treatment of Severe or Progressive Kaposi's Sarcoma (Ks) in HIV-1 Infected Adults.
• Cotrimoxazole desensitization may result in fewer treatment stoppages and side effects than rechallenge in HIV-infected adult patients who had a previous mild or moderate reaction to cotrimoxazole Cotrimoxazole for Opportunistic Infections of HIV/AIDS in Patients with Previous History of Hypersensitivity to Cotrimoxazole
• Bisphosphonate therapy and testosterone in those with AIDS wasting syndrome may be safe and possibly effective methods to improve bone mineral density in HIV patients Interventions for Decreased Bone Mineral Density Associated with HIV Infection.
• There is insufficient evidence on interventions for treating anemia in persons with HIV infection Treatment for Anemia in People with AIDS.
• Vaginal disinfection may not be effective for preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV infection Vaginal Disinfection for Preventing Mother-to-Child Transmission (Mtct) of HIV Infection.
• Herbal medicines appear ineffective in patients with HIV infection and AIDS as measured with objective disease parameters Herbal Medicines for Treating HIV Infection and AIDS.
• Administration of anabolic steroids appears to result in a small increase in both lean body mass and body weight as compared with placebo in HIV infected individuals Anabolic Steroids for Weight Loss in HIV-Infected Individuals.
• Oral substitution treatment for injecting opioid users may reduce drug-related but not sex-related behaviours with a high risk of HIV transmission Substitution Treatment of Injecting Opioid Users for Prevention of HIV Infection.