Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in Pediatric HIV Infection

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).