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Pediatric HIV otolaryngologic conditions decreased in ART era
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Otolaryngologic conditions in pediatric patients with HIV have decreased in the post-antiretroviral era, recent data suggest.
Researchers from Stanford University conducted a population-based prospective study that included 276 children born from 1988 to 2008 with perinatally acquired HIV. They evaluated the incidence of otolaryngologic conditions among these children, comparing those from the ART birth cohort (those born 1996-2008) with children in the pre-ART cohort (born 1988-1995).
Among the 276 children, 103 developed mild otolaryngologic conditions, 50 developed moderate conditions and 20 developed severe. Most children developed conditions in the first 2 years of life: 53.4% of those with mild, 60% of those with moderate and 70% of those with severe diagnoses.
The most frequent diagnosis was otitis media, which developed in 21% of the patients, followed by oropharyngeal thrush, which developed in 17.4% of the patients. There was a significant decline in mild conditions and moderate conditions from the pre-ART era to the ART era.
“This finding supports early ART administration to decrease morbidity in HIV-1 positive infants and children as well as current US and WHO guidelines in order to prevent early HIV disease progression,” the researchers wrote.
Amy S. Sturt, MD, can be reached at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, Ira Greene PACE Clinic, 2400 Moorpark Ave., Suite 316, San Jose, CA 95128.
Disclosure: Sturt received funding from Pfizer to attend a conference in 2010. One of the other researchers is on a data safety monitoring board for Pfizer.
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