Updated DHHS Pediatric Antiretroviral Treatment Guidelines

ART should now be considered for all children, regardless of immunologic or clinical status. The strength of the recommendation varies by age and CD4-cell count/percentage.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) released updated guidelines recommending antiretroviral therapy (ART) for all HIV-infected adults. This change was based primarily on knowledge about the detrimental effects of uncontrolled viral replication and on results from the HPTN 052 study, which demonstrated that ART significantly reduces HIV transmission (JW AIDS Clin Care July 19 2011). Now, the agency also recommends that ART be considered for all children, regardless of CD4-cell count, including those with minimal or no symptoms — with the caveat that the strength of the recommendation is based on age and CD4-cell count/percentage.

When to Start

For the first time, absolute CD4 cell–count thresholds are off…

Reviewing Author

Holly Rawizza, MD

Updated DHHS Pediatric Antiretroviral Treatment Guidelines

Topics

When to Start

Reviewing Author