3.30 MB - Academy of Medicine of Malaysia
3.30 MB - Academy of Medicine of Malaysia
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