A newly diagnosed HIV patient needs rapid ART initiation. What are the key considerations for patient candidacy for rapid ART, and what general principles should guide the selection of their initial ART regimen, according to the guidelines?
Navigate to hivguidelines.org Click on 'HIV Treatment' from the left navigation menu. Click on 'Rapid ART Initiation' from the sub-menu. Locate and summarize the key criteria for patient candidacy for rapid ART initiation. Locate and summarize the general principles for choosing an initial ART regimen for rapid initiation.
Successfully navigate to the 'Rapid ART Initiation' guideline page. Identify and state the key criteria for determining a patient's candidacy for rapid ART initiation, which include: a new reactive HIV test/confirmed diagnosis, no prior ART (excluding PrEP/PEP), and no medical conditions requiring deferral (e.g., suspected cryptococcal or TB meningitis, CMV retinitis). Identify and state the general principles for choosing an initial ART regimen, which include: involving patients in regimen decisions to promote adherence, assessing prior antiretroviral use/comorbidities/coadministered medications, and selecting a preferred initial ART regimen for ART-naive patients (referring to Table 1).