[Interruption to treatment with combined lopinavir/ritonavir therapy in HIV positive patients].
OBJECTIVE
To describe the extent of interruptions to treatment with therapies which include the combination of lopinavir-ritonavir within the SNS (Spanish National Health System), as well as identify the causes of these interruptions and analyse the factors associated with the same.


METHODS
Retrospective cohort of 197 seropositive patients, who began treatment with lopinavir-ritonavir between January 2000 and October 2002. The patients attended the outpatient pharmaceutical care unit and were followed-up until December 2002. Interruptions and their causes were identified and the factors associated with the interruption were analysed using proportional hazard models.


RESULTS
The mean follow-up period was 263 days and 38.6% of patients interrupted therapy. The most common causes of interruption were intolerance (30.3%), non-compliance (21.1%) and therapy failure (5.26%). The mean treatment period was 487 days (95% CI: 432 to 542) and 50% of patients who interrupted treatment did so within the first 4 months. No associations were found between patient or treatment characteristics and the risk of interruption.


CONCLUSIONS
The percentage of interruptions was lower than those in other observational studies, but greater than those in clinical trials. The significance of the causes of interruption was similar and no factor associated with the risk of interruption was found.
Escuela Valenciana de Estudios de la Salud, C/Juan de Garay 21, Valencia, Spain. sanfelix_gab@gva.es
G
G
Sanfélix Gimeno
A
A
Rocher Milla
G
G
Roldán García
J
J
Sanfélix Genovés
I
I
Pereiro Berenguer
S
S
Peiró Moreno
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D061466:Lopinavir; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011744:Pyrimidinones / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019438:Ritonavir / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D016312:Treatment Refusal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors; D011744:Pyrimidinones; D061466:Lopinavir; D019438:Ritonavir