Management of Children Receiving Antiretroviral Therapy

Overview

In the United States, the majority of children living with HIV are receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART), making treatment-experienced children the norm. Providers may consider antiretroviral (ARV) regimen changes for the following reasons:

• Treatment simplification: Modifying ARV regimens in children who are currently receiving effective ART in order to simplify the regimen.
• Treatment optimization: Increasing the treatment potency or barrier to resistance of an effective, but older or potentially fragile, regimen or improving the adverse event profile.
• Toxicity management: Recognizing and managing ARV drug toxicity or intolerance (see Management of Medication Toxicity or Intolerance).
• Treatment failure: Recognizing and managing treatment failure (see Recognizing and Managing Antiretroviral Treatment Failure).