HIV/AIDS Treatment and Care : Clinical protocols for the European ...

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HIV/AIDS TREATMENT AND CARE CLINICAL PROTOCOLS FOR THE WHO EUROPEAN REGION
3. Management of HAART in IDUs with HIV/AIDS
• Initiation of ART is rarely an emergency.
• Patients should be well informed and motivated, while potential barriers to adherence should be
addressed.
• Health care providers should give written information (in appropriate language and consistent
with literacy levels) about ART to all patients and their families prior to initiation of treatment.
• Preparations for receiving ART should include:
° substance dependence treatment
° stabilization of living conditions
° treatment of psychiatric disorders
° stabilization of serious medical conditions.
Initiation of ART for HIV-infected IDUs should follow the current recommendations for initiation
of ART in other HIV-infected patients; see Table 1. (For further details, please refer to Protocol 1,
Patient evaluation and antiretroviral treatment for adults and adolescents.)
Table 1. Recommendations for initiating ART in PLHIV
WHO clinical stage CD4 cell count Recommendation
1
2