Technical and Operational
issues in
Pediatric HIV/AIDS
DR. Alaa H. Alwan
LESSON OBJECTIVES
• To have an understanding of the magnitude
of the problem of Paediatric AIDS
• Problems and challenges related to
Paediatric HIV/AIDS
INTRODUCTION
• HIV is the greatest health crisis the
world faces today.
• Estimated 40million people living with
HIV
• 2.7 million children under 15 years
are estimated to be infected with HIV
Global Scenario
• HIV is the greatest health crisis the world faces
today.
• Estimated 40 million people living with HIV
• 2.7 million children under 15 years are estimated
to be infected with HIV
• 570,000 children died of AIDS in 2005
• Children account for 18% of the 3.1 million AIDS
deaths
• Only 40,000 or 4% of the approximately one
million people now on treatment are children
.
Aetiology
Caused by the Human Immunodefiency
virus
Types I and II
Type I - Worldwide
Type II - Common in West African
Transmission
- Majority (90%) infected children acquire the infection
through MTCT
- This occurs during pregnancy, delivery and breastfeeding
• In absence of any intervention, the risk of MTCT is 15 –
30% in non breast feeding populations
• Breastfeeding increases the risk by 5 – 20% to a total of 20
– 45%.
• MTCT rates are <5% in US and Europe with access of
appropriate treatment
- In utero 25
– 45%
- Intrapartum 65
– 70% - most rapid course
- Postpartum 12
– 15%
Other Means of Transmission
• Blood transfusions, blood products and
organ/tissue transplants
• Contaminated needles
• Scarification marks ?
• Sexual intercourse
Factors Affecting MTCT
(Maternal)
• High maternal HIV RNA level
• Low maternal CD4+ T-lymphocyte count
• Chorioamnionitis
• Maternal vitamin A deficiency and malnutrition
• Co exciting sexually transmitted disease
• Urea of antiretroviral therapy
• Clinical states of mother
• Interpartum hemorrhage
• Vaginal delivery
• Artificial rapture of membranes
• Rapture of membranes >4hours
• Fetal scalp monitoring
• Episiotomy
Transmission Through
Breastfeeding
• Risk is 14% if sero conversion occurs before birth
• Risk is 29% if during breastfeeding
• Highest in the first 6 months of life but continues
throughout breastfeeding
Transmission risk increased by
- Seroconversion during breastfeeding
- Mastitis/breast abscess
- Bleeding nipples
- High plasma viral load
- Oral thrush in baby
- Mixed feeding (including breast milk)
Prevention of MTCT
In 1997, a joint WHO, UNAIDS, and UNICEF policy
Statement called for giving women access to
voluntary counseling and testing and information to
allow them make informed decisions regarding infant
feeding.
2001
– (WHO) If a woman has tested positive when
replacement feeding is affordable, feasible,
acceptable,sustainable and safe (AFASS) avoidance
of breastfeeding is recommended
▪ Otherwise, exclusive breastfeeding is recommended.
It should be short with abrupt cessation
▪ Mixed feeding is discouraged as its promotes
transmission
Prevention of MTCT 3
1. Pregnant women who need ARV treatment
should receive it in accordance with WHO
guidelines
2. HIV
– infected pregnant women who do not
have indication for ARV treatment or do not
have access to treatment should be offered
ARV prophylaxis to prevent MTCT using one
of the several regimens know to be safe
-
ZDV from 28wks of pregnancy + single dose
NVP during labour and single dose NVP and
one week ZDV for infant.
Prevention of MTCT 4
• Nevirapine tab 200mg given to the mother
during labour and the syrup 2mg/kg given
to baby within 72 hours of life reduces
transmission by half
CLINICAL FEATURES
CNS
– microcephaly
- progressive neurological deterioration
or spastic encephalopathy
- developmental delay/regression
- predisposition to CNS infections
Respiratory System
- Recurrent infections (pneumonia, sinusitis, otitis
media)
- Tuberculosis
- Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia or lymphoid
interstitial pneumonitis
Clinical Features 2
• CVS – cardiomyopathy with congestive cardiac failure
• GIT-
- AIDS enteropathy (malabsorption, infections with various
pathogens) leads to chronic diarrhoea resulting in failure to
thrive
-Abdominal pains, dysphagia, chronic hepatitis or pancreatitis
• Renal – AIDS nephropathy: the most common presentation
being nephrotic syndrome
• Skin – Eczema, seborrheic dermatitis, candida infections,
molluscum contagiosum, anogenital warts
• Opportunistic infections
- pneumocystis carinii pneumonia
- Cyptosporidium
- Epstein Barr Virus
- Measles
- Cryptococcus meningitis
- Toxoplasmosis
• Malignancy
-
Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
- Primary CNS lymphoma
- Kaposi sarcoma
WHO CLINICAL CASE DEFINITION OF
PAEDIATRIC AIDS
2 major + 2 minor Criteria
MAJOR
Weight loss of failure to thrive
Chronic diarrhoea > 1 month}
Prolonged fever > 1 month } Major
MINOR SIGNS
• Generalised lymphadenopathy
• Oropharyngeal candidiasis
• Recurrent common infections
• Generalised dermatitis
• Recurrent invasive bacterial infection
• Confirmed maternal HIV infection
CDC Immunologic categories based on
CD4+ and % Total lymphocyte counts
Immune
Categories
< 1yr
1
– 5years
6
– 12years
No
Suppression
➢1500
➢25%
>1000
>25%
500
>25%
Moderate
Suppression
750
– 1499
15
– 24%
500
– 999
15
– 24%
200 -499
Severe
Suppression
<750
<15%
<500
<15%
<200
<15%
Diagnosis of HIV Infection
• Diagnosis of HIV infected children over 18months can be made
by antibody test (ELISA and confirmatory tests)
• Specific diagnosis in children less than
15 -18months can be made by virologic tests
- HIV DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
- HIV RNA Assay
- Standard and immune complex dissociated p24 antigen
- Viral culture
Tests should be performed at 48 hours of age
-14 days
-1
– 2 months
- 3
– 6 months
• HIV infection is absent if there are 2 or more negative
viral tests between the age 1 month and 6 months
• HIV infection is present if there are 2 positive viral
tests on 2 separate blood samples regardless of age
In the absence of virologic tests
▪ 2 or more negative antibody tests performed by the
age of over 6 months with an interval of at least 1
month between tests reasonably excludes HIV
infection in exposed children
▪ A reactive HIV antibody test at >18 months followed
by a positive confirmatory test definitely indicates HIV
infection.
TREATMENT MODALITIES
• Antiretroviral therapy
• Treatment of acute bacterial infections
• Prophylaxis and treatment of opportunistic
infections
• Maintenance of good nutrition
• Immunization
• Management of AIDS – defining illnesses
• Psychological support for the family
• Palliative care for the terminally ill child
Antiretroviral Therapy
Goal is to maximally suppress viral replication to
on detectable levels for as long as possible
The antiretroviral drugs fall under 4 major categories
- Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs)
ZDV, ddI, 3TC, d4T
- Non-nucleoside RTIs, Nevirapine, Efavirenz
- Protease inhibitors: Nelfinavir, Ritonavir
- Fusion inhibitors: Enfuvirtide
Antiretroviral Therapy 2
When to initiate ARV
▪ All HIV infected children less than 12 months
▪ Clinical AIDS
▪ Mild to moderate clinical symptoms
▪ Mild to moderate immunosuppression
▪ Good response to 2NRT1s +1 protease inhibitor
▪ Some studies have shown comparible result with
2NRT1s + 1 NNRT1
▪ Nigeria ARV
– Stavudine,Lamivudine, Nevirapine
Immunization
• All HIV-exposed infants should be fully
immunized
• Infected and symptomatic infants should
receive all vaccines including measles and
hepatitis B but not BCG or Yellow fever
vaccine
• Infected and symptomatic children should
receive IPV instead of OPV
Goals Paediatric prevention, care
and treatment programme
• Provide prevention, care and treatment for
children infected or affected by HIV/AIDS.
• Provide ART to at least 90% of children
living with AIDS at the end of 5 years
• Prevent HIV infection through the PPTCT
programme scale-up
Conclusion
• Paediatric HIV infection is contributing
increasingly to childhood morbidity and
mortality
• Most cases result from MTCT
• Effort should be made prevent MTCT
complete care provided for infected
children and their families