Abstract
In four children, a boy aged 26 years, a girl of 4, her brother of 7 years and a girl aged 10 months. HIV infection was diagnosed. Since 1996 HIV- infected children in the Netherlands are treated with a combination of two nucleoside analogs and a protease-inhibitor. This therapy improves the quality of life, increases the life expectancy of HIV-infected children and is generally well tolerated. However, the current combination therapy is complex and puts a burden on the child and the family. Therefore, long term compliance will be difficult. Moreover, the majority of the families have extremely difficult social circumstances which interfere with an optimal medical treatment for the child. The parents of three of the children were refugees from African countries. Intensive support of the family by a team of health care and social workers is usually necessary to make antiretroviral combination therapy possible. Care directed at the individual needs of the child and family is crucial to help this vulnerable group of children and families in our society.
Translated title of the contribution | Team care for the HIV-infected child, at least in inauspicious circumstances |
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Original language | Dutch |
Pages (from-to) | 1681-1685 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde |
Volume | 143 |
Issue number | 33 |
Publication status | Published - 14 Aug 1999 |