Artigo de Periódico
Lack of Effect of Motivation on the Adherence of HIV-Positive/AIDS Patients to Antiretroviral Treatment
Fecha
2005Autor
Garcia, Rosa
Pondé, Milena Pereira
Lima, Manuela
Souza, Alba Regina de
Stolze, Silvia Maria de O.
Badaró, Roberto José da Silva
Garcia, Rosa
Pondé, Milena Pereira
Lima, Manuela
Souza, Alba Regina de
Stolze, Silvia Maria de O.
Badaró, Roberto José da Silva
Institución
Resumen
As a result of the potent drug combinations of reverse transcriptase inhibitors and protease
inhibitors currently available, it is now possible to achieve extreme reductions in the numbers of
viral particles in the peripheral blood of HIV-positive patients undergoing treatment, to the point
that they are undetectable. Moreover, the immunological recovery resulting from continued and
prolonged use of these drugs significantly reduces both mortality and the incidence of opportunistic
infections. However, the strict therapeutic regimens required, the number of pills, adverse events
and the stigma of a disease that requires the patient to introduce pill-taking into his/her lifestyle
brings into question one aspect of mental health, which is motivation to do that which is being
proposed. We investigated the influence of each of the components of the adherence trilogy:
information, motivation and behavioral abilities, as risk factors in a population of HIV-positive/
AIDS patients undergoing antiretroviral treatment in the city of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Material
and Methods: An intervention study was carried out by introducing motivational assistance into
the routine recommendations for the treatment of patients who were initiating antiretroviral
(ARV) therapy. Seventy-six treatment-naive patients, who had been selected to initiate ARV therapy,
were included. These patients were divided into two groups. Group A, in which the regular routine
of the institution was followed, received information on the disease and its treatment;patients in
group B had the same routine, but they were also followed-up fortnightly and given motivational
intervention. Evaluations of viral load and CD4 count before and following treatment were used to
measure adherence. Results: There was no significant difference between the two groups.
Conclusions: As the rates of non-adhesion were at the lower limits of the ranges reported in the
literature, it would appear that providing motivation and information can be of help to the patient.