In utero exposure to antiretroviral therapy: feasibility of long-term follow-up.

Most uninfected children born to diagnosed HIV-infected women in the United Kingdom (UK) are exposed to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in utero and neonatally, and concerns exist about potential adverse effects of such exposure. We explored the feasibility of using national clinic-based follow-up to investigate the association between ART exposure and adverse health events occurring after the neonatal period. Active surveillance of obstetric and paediatric HIV infection is conducted through the National Study of HIV in Pregnancy and Childhood (NSHPC). Between 2002 and 2005, health professionals enrolled previously notified uninfected children in a consented follow-up study (the CHildren exposed to AntiRetroviral Therapy (CHART) study). Follow-up information was collected opportunistically using a standard questionnaire. Of 2104 eligible uninfected children born in the UK between 1996 and 2004, 704 (33.5%) were enrolled in CHART; parents of 4.8% (100/2104) declined, 2.8% (59/2104) had gone abroad, 21.6% (455/2104) were not contactable, and the remaining 37.3% (786/2104) were not enrolled mainly because of lack of clinic resources or unwillingness of health professionals to approach the families. Demographic characteristics and type of ART exposure for enrolled and non-enrolled children were similar. Latest information on enrolled children was available at a median age of 24 months. Minor childhood ailments were reported in the majority of children, febrile seizures in 1.6% (11/704), and major health problems in 3.8% (27/704). It was reassuring that prevalence of these outcomes was within UK norms, but numbers were small and duration of follow-up was limited. The difficulties encountered in enrolling and retaining children in this study indicate that comprehensive clinic-based follow-up of ART-exposed uninfected children is not practical. Alternative approaches are required; a robust, secure data linkage protocol would provide a more feasible and sustainable system for long-term monitoring of in utero ART exposure.

Systematic literature review of oral hygiene practices for intensive care patients receiving mechanical ventilation.

BACKGROUND: Oropharyngeal colonization with pathogenic organisms contributes to the development of ventilator-associated pneumonia in intensive care units. Although considered basic and potentially nonessential nursing care, oral hygiene has been proposed as a key intervention for reducing ventilator-associated pneumonia. Nevertheless, evidence from randomized controlled trials that could inform best practice is limited. OBJECTIVE: To appraise the peer-reviewed literature to determine the best available evidence for providing oral care to intensive care patients receiving mechanical ventilation and to document a research agenda for this important activity in optimizing patients' outcomes. METHODS: Articles published from 1985 to 2006 in English and indexed in the CINAHL, MEDLINE, Joanna Briggs Institute, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and DARE databases were searched by using the key terms oral hygiene, oral hygiene practices, oral care, mouth care, mouth hygiene, intubated, mechanically ventilated, intensive care, and critical care. Reference lists of retrieved journal articles were searched for publications missed during the primary search. Finally, the Google search engine was used to do a comprehensive search of the World Wide Web to ensure completeness of the search. The search strategy was verified by a health librarian. RESULTS: The search yielded 55 articles: 11 prospective controlled trials, 20 observational studies, and 24 descriptive reports. Methodological issues and the heterogeneity of samples precluded meta-analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the importance of providing oral hygiene to intensive care patients receiving mechanical ventilation, high-level evidence from rigorous randomized controlled trials or high-quality systematic reviews that could inform clinical practice is scarce.

Morbidity, mortality, and response to treatment by children in the United Kingdom and Ireland with perinatally acquired HIV infection during 1996-2006: planning for teenage and adult care.

BACKGROUND: Recent evidence suggests that decreases in morbidity and mortality in cohorts of adults infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are showing signs of reversal. We describe changes over time in these characteristics and in the response to treatment among children in the United Kingdom and Ireland with perinatally acquired HIV infection, many of whom are now adolescents. METHODS: We analyzed prospective cohort data reported to the National Study of HIV in Pregnancy and Childhood (NSHPC) and the Collaborative HIV Paediatric Study. RESULTS: By mid 2006, 1441 HIV-infected children were reported to NSHPC; 40% were > or = 10 years old at their most recent follow-up visit, and 34% were receiving care outside London. The proportion of children born abroad increased from 24% during 1994-1996 to 64% during 2003-2006. The percentage of total child time during which children received highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) increased from 36% during 1997-1999 to 61% during 2000-2002 and 63% during 2003-2006. Of children who were naive to antiretroviral therapy at the start of HAART, the percentage with an HIV-1 RNA load of < 400 copies/mL after 12 months increased from 52% during 1997-1999 to 79% during 2003-2006. In multivariate analysis, only calendar time predicted virological response, whereas both younger age and lower CD4 cell percentage at HAART initiation predicted increases of > 10% in the CD4 cell percentage. A total of 31% of children aged 5-14 years and 38% aged > or = 15 years at their most recent follow-up visit had been exposed to drugs from each of the 3 main HAART classes. The rate of AIDS and mortality combined decreased from 13.3 cases per 100 person-years before 1997 to 3.1 and 2.5 cases per 100 person-years, respectively, during 2000-2002 and 2003-2006; rates of hospital admission also declined during this interval. Of 18 children known to have died since 2003, 9 died within 1 month after presentation. CONCLUSIONS: Morbidity and mortality rates among HIV-infected children continue to decrease over time. Because these children are increasingly dispersed outside London, specialist care is now provided in national clinical networks. Transition pathways to adolescent and adult services and long-term observation to monitor the effects of prolonged exposure to both HIV and HAART are required.