Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 22, 2026

Rapid Screening of HIV Reverse Transcriptase and Integrase Inhibitors
Published on: April 9, 2014
Factors determining changes in initial antiretroviral therapy
Denise Girão Limaverde Lima1, Érico Antonio Gomes de Arruda, Antonio Jorge Alves de Lima
1Public Health School of Ceará (ESP-CE), Brazil. deniseglvl@yahoo.com.br
Objective:
To investigate factors determining changes in initial antiretroviral therapy (ART) in patients attended to in an AIDS tertiary care hospital in Ceará, Brazil.
Methods:
This descriptive and exploratory study used the analysis of request to initiate or change treatment forms in the year of 2008, and the changes in therapy were followed through the first year of treatment. Data were analyzed with SPSS and EpiInfo by using ANOVA and the exact test of the coefficient of contingency, with significance at p < 0.05.
Results:
From 301 patients initiating ART, 22.1% (n = 68) needed a change in the first year. These patients were mostly males, aged 20 to 39 years; with only one ART changed needed in 86.8% of the cases (n = 59). Reports of two or three changes in regimen were observed. Zidovudine was the drug most often changed, followed by lopinavir/ritonavir and efavirenz. A significant association was found between changes in initial regimens and the report of adverse reactions (p < 0.001).
Conclusion:
The main factor determining changes in the initial ART was an adverse reaction report. Most patients had one change in the initial ART over the first year of treatment. ART monitoring contributed to a better control of the specific drug therapy.
Related Concept Videos
Retrovirus Life Cycles
Therapeutic Drug Monitoring: Affecting Factors
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion
Factors Affecting Drug Response: Overview
Factors Affecting Drug Biotransformation: Biological
Species differences: Variations in enzyme systems across species can cause disparities in drug metabolism. For instance, humans may metabolize certain drugs faster than rodents, altering therapeutic effects.
Strain differences: Genetic variations within a species can result in differing enzyme activity, impacting drug response and toxicity. For example, some mouse strains may...
Factors Affecting Drug Distribution: Miscellaneous Factors
Age plays a significant role due to differences in body composition among different age groups. Infants, for instance, have a higher proportion of total body water and lower albumin levels, a protein that binds drugs in the bloodstream. This unique composition in infants enhances the...

