No abstract

Background Although integrase inhibitor (INI)-based regimens are now the first-line choice for all people living with HIV, experience among children and adolescents is still scarce. We describe the characteristics and outcomes of a paediatric/adolescent cohort on INI-based ART. Methods Retrospective analysis of HIV-infected patients below 18 years of age who started an INI-based regimen from 2007 to 2019, enrolled in the Spanish National Adult (CoRIS) and Paediatric (CoRISpe) cohorts. Resistance mutations were identified by the Stanford HIV Drug Resistance Database. Results Overall, 318 INI-based regimens were implemented in 288 patients [53.8% female; median age at start of 14.3 years (IQR 12.0–16.3)]. Most were born in Spain (69.1%), vertically infected (87.7%) and treatment-experienced (92.7%). The most frequently prescribed INI was dolutegravir (134; 42.1%), followed by raltegravir (110; 34.6%) and elvitegravir (73; 23.0%). The median exposure was 2.0 years (IQR 1.1–3.0). The main reasons to start an INI-based therapy were treatment simplification (54.4%) and virological failure (34.3%). In total, 103 (32.4%) patients interrupted their regimen: 14.5% for simplification and 8.5% due to virological failure. Most subjects who received dolutegravir (85.8%) and elvitegravir (83.6%) did not interrupt their regimen and maintained undetectable viral load. There were only five virological failures with dolutegravir and three with elvitegravir. There were no interruptions related to adverse events. Seven patients with virological failure presented major resistance mutations to INIs; none of them were on dolutegravir. Conclusions INI-based regimens were effective and safe for HIV treatment in children and adolescents. Dolutegravir and elvitegravir presented an excellent profile, and most patients achieved and maintained viral suppression.

To the Editor, The management of parapneumonic pleural effusion and pleural empyema (PPE/PE) is controversial. [1][2][3] Although fibrinolytics are considered to have similar efficacy to video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, 4,5 it is unknown when a drainage procedure for PPE/PE is beneficial, and many patients recover satisfactorily with antibiotic treatment alone. [6][7][8] Because of the potential severity and possible need for interventional procedures, pediatric patients with PPE/PE are often transferred to tertiary referral centers for treatment. The two hospitals

Objective: Late presenters (LP) for HIV care are associated with higher morbidity and mortality rates. Our aim was to describe the characteristics associated with LP among adolescents in Spain. Identification of particular features may help in the design of strategies for improvement.Methods: Late-presenting adolescents diagnosed at 12-19 years of age and enrolled in the Spanish paediatric and adult HIV/AIDS cohorts (CoRIS-CoR-ISpe) from 2004 to 2019 were selected. LP were defined as those presenting

Pleural drainage was differently performed in two similar neighboring hospitals (32.0 % vs. 58.2 %, p < 0.001), but the length of stay was shorter in the hospital using a more conservative approach (median 12 days vs. 18 days, p < 0.001). This result seemed unrelated to severity but associated with the shorter duration of intravenous treatment. This study adds to previous reports suggesting that pleural drainage is unnecessary in many cases; controlled studies are needed to determine which patients may actually benefit from its use.