More on the Timing of ART Initiation During an Acute OI

A retrospective study conducted in Brazil adds to the evidence supporting early ART in patients with acute OIs.

Two recent randomized trials — ACTG A5164 and SAPIT — support the use of early antiretroviral therapy (ART) in patients with acute opportunistic infections (OIs). In both trials, the benefits of ART were apparent by 6 months, but a new, retrospective study suggests that those benefits might begin to accrue even sooner.

The study involved 278 HIV-infected patients who were admitted to a Brazilian ICU between late 1996 and late 2006. Eighty percent had AIDS-defining conditions, with the most common OIs being tuberculosis and Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP). Mortality rates were high both in the ICU (55%) and 6 months after admission (69%).

After adjustment for potential confounders, the use of ART in the ICU (whether initiated then or pr…

Reviewing Authors

Philip Grant, MD

Andrew Zolopa, MD

More on the Timing of ART Initiation During an Acute OI

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Reviewing Authors