Immediate ART of No Benefit in Patients with Tuberculous Meningitis

Patients who started ART during the first week of TB treatment had the same mortality risk as those who started after 2 months of TB treatment; they also had more grade 4 adverse events.

The timing of antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation for HIV-infected patients with tuberculosis (TB) has been controversial. Recent data indicate that starting ART as early as 2 weeks into TB treatment improves outcomes (JW AIDS Clin Care Feb 24 2010, Aug 9 2010, and Apr 4 2011). To determine whether this strategy also has value specifically in patients with tuberculous meningitis, researchers conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

A total of 253 HIV-infected patients in Vietnam who had tuberculous meningitis were randomized to start ART within the first 7 days of TB treatment or after 2 months of TB treatment. All study participants received dexamethasone (unless contraindicated) in addition to TB therapy; ART con…

Reviewing Author

Sonia Nagy Chimienti, MD

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Sonia Nagy Chimienti, MD

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Immediate ART of No Benefit in Patients with Tuberculous Meningitis

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Reviewing Author