[Study of the durability of the triple antiretroviral regimens]. / Estudio de la durabilidad de los regímenes antirretrovirales con tres fármacos.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The evaluation of the effectiveness of triple antiretroviral therapies (TTT) in HIV-infected patients is difficult due to the long duration of these therapies. Our objective was to estimate the treatment's duration until the failure of the triple antiretroviral combination as a subrogated variable of the effectiveness. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Survival time calculation of a triple antiretroviral combination in 356 adult HIV-infected patients (from 1997 to 2001) and study of the influence of both the triple combination type (TC) and the presence or absence of previous antiretroviral treatment (TP). RESULTS: The survival median time was 21.96 months. There were not statistical differences related to TC (n1 = 241, n2 = 108, p = 0.4916) but to TP (n3 = 106, n4 = 250, p = 0.0460). CONCLUSIONS: The time in which TTT turned out to be effective seems to be short. It could explain the variety of TTT employed in clinical practice.

Fungal chemoprophylaxis with fluconazole in preterm infants.

INTRODUCTION: To describe the establishment of a fungal chemoprophylaxis protocol in very low birth weight infants (VLBW). To asses safety, tolerability, and effectiveness of fluconazole administration to these patients. METHOD: According to published scientific evidence (search on MEDLINE 1994-2001) inclusion criteria for the protocol were defined: gestational age <28 weeks and birth weight <1500 g. Fluconazole was given intravenously by infusion. A pharmacotherapeutic follow-up of patients included on the protocol was performed for 1 year. RESULTS: Sixteen patients were included on the protocol, two of them died because of causes not related to the drugs given. Significant drug interactions were not observed. Fluconazole side effects were not reported either. None of the patients who finished the chemoprophylaxis showed signs or symptoms of fungal infection. CONCLUSION: Fluconazole chemoprophylaxis in this small number of patients has shown an excellent safety and tolerability profile. The lack of fungal infection points out the possibility of using fluconazole to reduce morbidity and mortality in VLBW.