Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 20, 2026

Rapid Screening of HIV Reverse Transcriptase and Integrase Inhibitors
Published on: April 9, 2014
Heavy alcohol use in patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy: What responses are needed?
Charles David Parry1, Connie Kekwaletswe, Paul A Shuper
1Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa. cparry@mrc.ac.za.
Background:
Alcohol has a negative effect on antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence and HIV treatment outcomes.
Method:
As part of formative work for a project to test the efficacy of an alcohol-focused intervention to reduce alcohol consumption and improve HIV treatment outcomes, we investigated the extent of problem drinking among patients at ART clinics in Tshwane, South Africa (SA), using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT).
Results:
The finding that a third of drinkers reported hazardous drinking, roughly 10% reported harmful drinking, and a further 10% were possibly alcohol dependent replicates the findings of similar research in the Western Cape and Gauteng provinces of SA. It also points to the need for more routine screening of ART patients for problematic alcohol use.
Conclusion:
The 10-item AUDIT may be too time consuming for health workers in busy ART clinics to administer and score, necessitating even briefer screening instruments for assessing hazardous and harmful drinking.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Retrovirus Life Cycles
Pulmonary Tuberculosis I
Causative Organism
The primary infectious agent causing tuberculosis is Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a slow-growing, acid-fast, aerobic rod that exhibits sensitivity to heat and ultraviolet light. Instances of Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium avium contributing to the development of TB infection are rare.
Mode of...
CNS Depressants: Alcohol and Nicotine
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Dose Adjustments Due to Hepatic Impairment
Drug Toxicity: Risk factors
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Pathophysiologic Assessment and Liver Function Test

