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3.30 MB - Academy of Medicine of Malaysia

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MANAGEMENT OF HIV INFECTION IN CHILDREN<br />

As there is limited evidence with regards to salvage therapy, no definite<br />

recommendations can be provided and these patients should be referred to<br />

the Paediatric Infectious Diseases Specialist.<br />

Recommendation for salvage therapy<br />

• Salvage treatment is treatment reserved for children who have already<br />

received and failed two or more regimens. Refer to Paediatric<br />

Infectious Disease specialist for further management. (Grade C)<br />

Resistance testing or genotypic testing<br />

The prevalence <strong>of</strong> resistance in children who had failed HAART and had<br />

virological failure is high ranging from 71% to 90%. There is a close relationship<br />

214, Level 6 ;215, Level 6<br />

between therapeutic failure and genotypic resistance.<br />

Ideally genotypic resistance assays should be carried out in children failing<br />

therapy. These assays should be obtained when the patient is still on the<br />

failing regimen or within 4 weeks <strong>of</strong> discontinuation <strong>of</strong> the regimen and while<br />

the patient has a pVL <strong>of</strong> > 1000c/ml. If resistance testing is not carried out,<br />

a sample should be stored for subsequent analysis.<br />

Some reports in children have shown genotypic resistance testing to be useful<br />

for guiding therapy particularly for children with extensive ARV experience.<br />

46, Level 9<br />

Recommendation for resistance testing<br />

ARV drug resistance testing* is recommended prior to changing therapy for<br />

treatment failure. (Grade B)<br />

Resistance assays* should be obtained when the patient is still on the<br />

failing regimen or within 4 weeks <strong>of</strong> discontinuation <strong>of</strong> the regimen and<br />

while the patient has a pVL <strong>of</strong> > 1000c/ml. (Grade B)<br />

* This test is currently not available for clinical purposes<br />

When to stop ART<br />

If children have failed multiple ART regimens and no further suitable ARVs<br />

are available, stopping ART and keeping them comfortable with symptom-based<br />

154 Level 9<br />

palliative care may have to be considered.<br />

These children may experience undue suffering from psychological problems,<br />

pain, diarrhoea, cough, shortness <strong>of</strong> breath, nausea, weakness, fatigue,<br />

fever and confusion. Palliative care aims at relieving pain, treating the above<br />

symptoms, providing psychological support for patient and family and<br />

helping them with preparation for death. (Refer to palliative care<br />

216, Level 9 ; 217, Level 9<br />

guidelines).<br />

43

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