Executive summary of the Consensus Statement on monitoring HIV: pregnancy, birth, and prevention of mother-to-child transmission.

The main objective in the management of HIV-infected pregnant women is prevention of mother-to-child transmission; therefore, it is essential to provide universal antiretroviral treatment, regardless of CD4 count. All pregnant women must receive adequate information and undergo HIV serology testing at the first visit. If the serological status is unknown at the time of delivery, or in the immediate postpartum, HIV serology testing has to be performed as soon as possible. In this document, recommendations are made regarding the health of the mother and from the perspective of minimizing mother-to-child transmission.

[Consensus statement on monitoring of HIV: pregnancy, birth, and prevention of mother-to-child transmission]. / Documento de consenso para el seguimiento de la infección por el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana en relación con la reproducción, el embarazo, el parto y la profilaxis de la transmisión vertical del niño expuesto.

OBJECTIVE: The main objective in the management of HIV-infected pregnant women is prevention of mother-to-child transmission; therefore, it is essential to provide universal antiretroviral treatment, regardless of CD4 count. All pregnant women must receive adequate information and undergo HIV serology testing at the first visit. METHODS: We assembled a panel of experts appointed by the Secretariat of the National AIDS Plan (SPNS) and the other participating Scientific Societies, which included internal medicine physicians with expertise in the field of HIV infection, gynecologists, pediatricians and psychologists. Four panel members acted as coordinators. Scientific information was reviewed in publications and conference reports up to November 2012. In keeping with the criteria of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, 2levels of evidence were applied to support the proposed recommendations: the strength of the recommendation according to expert opinion (A, B, C), and the level of empirical evidence (I, II, III). This approach has already been used in previous documents from SPNS. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The aim of this paper was to review current scientific knowledge, and, accordingly, develop a set of recommendations regarding antiretroviral therapy (ART), regarding the health of the mother, and from the perspective of minimizing mother-to-child transmission (MTCT), also taking into account the rest of the health care of pregnant women with HIV infection. We also discuss and evaluate other strategies to reduce the MTCT (elective Cesarean, child's treatment…), and different aspects of the topic (ARV regimens, their toxicity, monitoring during pregnancy and postpartum, etc.).

Tratamiento de la mujer embarazada infectada por el VIH / Treatment of HIV-infected pregnant women

En la elección y uso de los diferentes fármacos antirretrovirales en la mujer embarazada surgen diversos interrogantes que se derivan de los problemas medicamentosos singulares de este período de la vida de muchas mujeres. Basándose tanto en los datos publicados como en su experiencia, los autores plantean y opinan sobre las siguientes cuestiones: a) durante el embarazo se producen una serie de cambios fisiológicos en el organismo femenino que podrían afectar la farmacocinética de los diferentes medicamentos antirretrovirales, ¿hay que hacer ajuste de dosis de los fármacos?; b) ¿cuáles son los riesgos reales de los antirretrovirales para el feto o recién nacido?; c) ¿puede hacer el embarazo que la mujer sea más sensible a ciertas toxicidades farmacológicas?, y d) ¿existirían algunas otras razones, además de las derivadas de los problemas anteriores, para cambiar un tratamiento antirretroviral (TARV) previamente eficaz a una mujer por quedarse embarazada? (AU)

Several questions arise concerning the election and use of the various antiretroviral medicines in pregnant women, questions arising from the specific medical problems of many women at this stage of their lives. The authors use published data and their own experience to pose the following questions and draw conclusions: 1. During pregnancy women undergo a series of physiological changes that could affect the pharmacokinetics of the various antiretroviral medicines. Are adjustments to drug doses needed? 2. What are the real risks of antiretroviral drugs for the foetus or neonate? 3. Can pregnancy make women more sensitive to pharmacological toxicity? 4. Are there any other reasons, apart from the above, for changing a previously efficacious antiretroviral treatment because a woman becomes pregnant? (AU)