title: Evaluation of inadequate anti-retroviral treatment in patients with HIV/AIDS.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Since the emergence of antiretroviral therapy, the survival of patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus has increased. Non-adherence to this therapy is directly related to treatment failure, which allows the emergence of resistant viral strains.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective descriptive study of the antiretroviral dispensing records of 229 patients from the Center for Health Care, University Hospital, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Brazil, was conducted between January and December 2009.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study aimed to evaluate patient compliance and determine if there was an association between non-adherence and the therapy. Among these patients, 63.8% were men with an average age of 44.0 ± 9.9 years. The most used treatment was a combination of 2 nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors with 1 non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (55.5%) or with 2 protease inhibitors (28.8%). It was found that patients taking lopinavir/ritonavir with zidovudine and lamivudine had a greater frequency of inadequate treatment than those taking atazanavir with zidovudine and lamivudine (85% and 83.3%, respectively). Moreover, when the combination of zidovudine/ lamivudine was used, the patients were less compliant (χ² = 4.468, 1 degree of freedom, p = 0.035).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of patients failed to correctly adhere to their treatment; therefore, it is necessary to implement strategies that lead to improved compliance, thus ensuring therapeutic efficacy and increased patient survival.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG.
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Carvalho da Fonseca
authors.forename: Francislene Juliana
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: Rita de Cássia Padula Alves
authors.initials: Rde C
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.forename: Rouzeli Maria
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Coelho Pereira
authors.forename: Aline
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Siqueira Ferreira
authors.forename: Nádia Rezende Barbosa
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Raposo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors