TY - JOUR AU - Batool, Farzana AU - Manzoor, Sohaima AU - Dhiloo, Azizullah Khan AU - Ismail, Humera Muhammad AU - Shaikh, Shah Muhammad AU - Baqi, Shehla PY - 2021/10/31 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - EXPERIENCE WITH DOLUTEGRAVIR IN HIV PATIENTS AT A PUBLIC SECTOR HOSPITAL IN KARACHI, PAKISTAN: Dolutegravir in HIV JF - Pakistan Armed Forces Medical Journal JA - PAFMJ VL - 71 IS - 5 SE - Original Articles DO - 10.51253/pafmj.v71i5.6288 UR - https://pafmj.org/PAFMJ/article/view/6288 SP - 1661-65 AB - <p><strong>Objective:</strong> To study the tolerability and efficacy of dolutegravir in naïve and experienced patients, their management and outcome.</p><p><strong>Study Design:</strong> Cross sectional study.</p><p><strong>Place and Duration of Study:</strong> Ruth KM Pfau Civil Hospital, Karachi Pakistan, from Apr 2018 to Apr 2020.</p><p><strong>Methodology:</strong> In this study all treatment-naïve and experienced HIV infected patients were included and started on integrase strand-transfer inhibitor dolutegravir (DTG) containing fixed dose combination at Sindh AIDS Control Program (SACP) was conducted. We documented virological suppression, defined as a viral load of &lt;1000 copies/ml, immunological and clinical outcomes.</p><p><strong>Results:</strong> Eighty-two patients, of whom 53 (64.6%) were ARV naïve and 29 (35.4%) experienced, were started on DTG. Fifty six (68.3%) were males. The median age was 31.6 ± 9. Of 82, 61 returned for their first follow-up visit for assessment and viral load determination. Of 61, adverse effects to DTG were reported in 12 (19.6%), including 9 with pruritis. Of 35 naive patients, 30 achieved virological suppression by 3.3 ± 0.7 months and 1 at 8 months. All 26 experienced patients achieved virological suppression by 4.5 ± 0.9 months. Overall, of 61 patients, 57 (93.4%) achieved virological suppression, of whom 1 had immunelogical failure and none had clinical failure after 6 months of DTG. Three (3.6%) patients died within the first two months of<br>initiating DTG.</p><p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> Dolutegravir has good tolerability, with virological suppression achieved in the majority, including in highly ARV experienced patients.</p> ER -