Pediatr. praxi. 2023;24(1):13-16 | DOI: 10.36290/ped.2023.012
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in children
- Klinika infekčních a tropických nemocí 1. lékařské fakulty a Univerzity Karlovy a Fakultní nemocnice Bulovka, Praha
HIV infection in children is rare in developed countries. The relatively low proportion of women among HIV-positive individuals, the screening of pregnant women, and prophylactic measures to prevent vertical transmission hinder a more significant spread of the infection in children. Currently, there are around 20 HIV-infected children in health care in the Czech Republic, including refugees from Ukraine. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is an effective tool in the care of HIV-infected people that allows for a virtually asymptomatic course of the disease, with a life expectancy comparable to that of the general population. The treatment of children with HIV infection requires an interdisciplinary approach: at least a general paediatrician and infectious disease specialist with expertise in HIV infection. The general paediatrician should even be prepared for rare cases of hitherto undetected or unacknowledged HIV infection in children. The clinical presentation of HIV infection and treatment management in children have its specific features described in this article.
Keywords: human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), antiretroviral therapy (ART).
Accepted: February 7, 2023; Published: February 20, 2023 Show citation
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