RSM logo
Tropical Doctor

Home Current issue Browse archive Alerts About the journal Feedback
 
Trop Doct 2009;39:78-80
doi:10.1258/td.2008.080213
© 2009 Royal Society of Medicine Press

This Article
Right arrow Figures Only
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Beadles, W I
Right arrow Articles by Clutterbuck, D
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?

Articles

Peripheral neuropathy in HIV-positive patients at an antiretroviral clinic in Lilongwe, Malawi

W I Beadles BM   {dagger}    A Jahn BM MSc   *   R Weigel MD MSc   *   D Clutterbuck MB ChB   {ddagger}

* Lighthouse Clinic, Kamuzu General Hospital, Lilongwe, Malawi; {dagger} Regional Infectious Diseases Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh; {ddagger} Department GU Medicine, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, UK

Correspondence to: W I Beadles, Lighthouse Clinic, Kamuzu General Hospital, Lilongwe, Malawi Email: wbeadles{at}freeuk.com; wbeadles{at}nhs.net

Peripheral neuropathy (PN) is common in the setting of antiretroviral (ARV) programmes in resource-limited settings and poses significant challenges in assessment and management. A retrospective analysis was undertaken of prevalence and management of PN in a cohort of 3341 patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy. A first line ARV regimen containing stavudine (D4T) is used for clinically eligible patients. Amitriptyline is prescribed for symptom relief and in cases of persistent or escalating symptoms zidovudine (AZT) is substituted for D4T. Leg pain or numbness was reported in 1173 patients (35%). However, only 428 (13%) were given a diagnosis of PN, 228 (7%) were prescribed amitriptyline and 200 (6%) were switched to AZT. A recent pharmokinetic study in this population showed a high Cmax of D4T with the generic combination triomune (D4T 40 mg). This could account for the high prevalence of PN. The optimum time for switch to a non-D4T containing regimen is unknown.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?




Acute CT - A Primer of Emergency Imaging

 Harley Street - A brief history RSM Press eJournals Collection 2010