title: Antiretroviral therapy for pediatric and adolescent HIV.
abstract: As the number of children infected in the HIV epidemic increases, the school nurse can play an important role in ensuring that these children receive comprehensive health care. Compliance with following an immunization program for HIV-infected children is a potential problem for various reasons. Many of these children come from homes where the mother also has HIV/AIDS. She is likely to be involved in keeping her family together, caring for her own health needs, and meeting financial and social needs of her family. Access to health care may be limited. The majority of vaccines administered within the first few months of life are parenteral and consist of inactivated antigens. Children or infants who are immunosuppressed may be unable to respond to the immunogen, thus rendering them susceptible to many infectious diseases. Heterosexual transmission and pregnancy compound the problems of HIV/AIDS (Flynn, 1994). Compliance following an immunization schedule becomes a greater challenge when working with the adolescent population. Parents may not understand that the risk of receiving vaccine, MMR for example, is less than the risk of severe complications associated with the diseases themselves. Coordination of care between the child, parent, and school district personnel is imperative to minimize the risk of further health-related problems of the HIV-infected child. Encouraging regular immunizations can decrease the child's susceptibility to infection, and administering medications properly can enhance the benefits of the drug therapy. An excellent resource for answering questions of school nurses related to HIV/AIDS is the National Pediatric and Family HIV Resource Center; contact Elaine Gross, R.N., M.S. at 1-800-362-0071.
authors.affiliation: Washington State University College of Pharmacy, Deaconess Medical Center, Spokane, USA.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Terriff
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Synoground
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D016903:Drug Monitoring; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000451:nursing*; D006801:Humans; D007255:Information Services; D020407:Internet; D008403:Mass Screening; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D012573:School Nursing / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents