AEGiS-ATN: New HIV Treatment Guidelines Give More Advice

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2003. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

New HIV Treatment Guidelines Give More Advice

AIDS TREATMENT NEWS Issue #393, July 25, 2003
John S. James

New HIV treatment guidelines for adults and adolescents, developed by a panel of experts convened by the U.S. Department of Human Services, were published July 14, 2003. This standard differs from previous editions in giving more direction to physicians, especially in choosing specific drugs. You can download this and other guidelines documents at http://AIDSinfo.nih.gov -- click Guidelines, then Adult and Adolescent Guidelines.

Advice on *when* to start antiretrovirals has not changed. But instead of the previous system (pick one drug from column A and two from column B), the new guidelines recommend choosing one of basically two preferred regimens, with alternates available if needed. There is also more guidance for doctors on how to deal with drug failure and choosing a new regimen.

Much of the useful information is contained in the 29 tables at the end of the 96-page document.

Comment

Guidelines are never the final word in a complicated, fast- changing, and controversial area of medicine. It is still critically important to have the advice of a physician with extensive experience in treating HIV.

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