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CDC Issues Flu Treatment Guidelines and Public Health Service Updates Antiretroviral Therapy Recommendations for Pregnant Women with HIV

On May 29, 2009, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued guidelines for treating pregnant women with symptoms of the new H1N1 strain of influenza A, formerly called the "swine flu"; the guidance includes specific recommendations for pregnant women with HIV.

"HIV-infected pregnant women are at risk of potentially serious disease due to influenza viruses," the document reads. "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that pregnant women, including HIV-infected pregnant women, with confirmed, probable, or suspected novel influenza A (H1N1) infection receive antiviral therapy with oseltamivir (Tamiflu).

In late April, the U.S. Public Health Service released an updated version of its Public Health Service Task Force Recommendations for Use of Antiretroviral Drugs in Pregnant HIV-Infected Women for Maternal Health and Interventions to Reduce Perinatal HIV Transmission in the United States.

Changes in the latest version include new information from recent clinical trials of antiretroviral prophylaxis to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission, further information on administering zidovudine (AZT; Retrovir) to babies after birth, and more details about pharmacokinetics and toxicity of specific anti-HIV drugs during pregnancy.

The new flu guidelines, the updated antiretroviral therapy guidelines for pregnant women, and accompanying revised tables are all available from the AIDS.gov web site.

5/29/09

Sources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Guidelines for Pregnant Women and Novel Influenza A (H1N1): Considerations for Clinicians. May 21, 2009 (http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/contentfiles/Peri_Antivirals_Flu.pdf).

U.S. Public Health Service. Public Health Service Task Force Recommendations for Use of Antiretroviral Drugs in Pregnant HIV-Infected Women for Maternal Health and Interventions to Reduce Perinatal HIV Transmission in the United States. April 29, 2009 (http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/contentfiles/PerinatalGL.pdf).