Fact Sheets on Antiretroviral Drugs

<strong>Fact</strong> <strong>Sheets</strong> on Antiretroviral Drugs
INTERPRETATION OF DRUG-RELATED SIDE EFFECTS
The causes of any new symptoms or signs developing after the initiation of
antiretroviral therapy should be identified whenever possible. New symptoms may be
related to intercurrent illness or due to adverse effects of antiretroviral drugs. Shortly
after commencing the treatment, certain opportunistic infections may become
clinically apparent as a result of the syndrome of immune reactivation, and these
should be diagnosed and treated.
If new complaints are due to adverse effects of drugs, these should be explained
to the patient and appropriate measures implemented, by: (i) adapting the drug
regimen, (ii) providing symptomatic treatment or (iii) giving simple reassurance.
Direct questioning on early symptoms of the documented clinically serious
adverse effects of antiretroviral drugs is mandatory, as is systematic physical and
laboratory examination to look for indicative signs. In this way, adverse effects like
severe anaemia and neutropenia, polyneuritis, pancreatitis, hepatitis, nephrolithiasis
and serious hypersensitivity dermatitis can be detected early and remedial actions
taken.
In order to obtain better compliance to the treatment, patients should be told of
the possible occurrence of side effects before starting antiretroviral drugs. This patient
education will reinforce the acceptability of minor and/or transient side effects.
The drug-related side effects listed in these <strong>Fact</strong> <strong>Sheets</strong> are not exhaustive of all
the side effects reported during treatment with each drug. The included side effects
have been chosen because of frequency of report, their severity, and of high
correlation with the corresponding drug. Any new, unexpected and previously
unreported side effects should be reported as soon as possible to the competent
national authority.
Class side effects are listed separately from the sections relating to the single
drugs.
The management of the most frequent or serious side effects associated with
antiretrovirals are shown in the tables below.
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