Question

A child weighing 90 pounds is prescribed Kaletra, a protease-inhibitor combination therapy; the normal adult dose is 400 mg lopinavir/100 mg ritonavir. What is the appropriate dosage for the child?

Answer 1

The correct dosage of Kaletra for a child can only be determined with specific paediatric dosing guidelines and is not based on a direct scaling of adult dosages.

Step-by-step explanation:

The dosage of Kaletra, which comprises lopinavir and ritonavir, for a child weighing 90 pounds cannot be determined without additional specific dosing guidelines based on body weight or surface area. Adult dosages are not directly scalable to children due to differences in metabolism and distribution of drugs. For proper dosing in children, a healthcare provider must refer to paediatric dosing guidelines, consider the child's body weight or body surface area, and adjust the dose accordingly. The dosage determination must also take into account the child's renal and hepatic function, and may be influenced by potential drug interactions. It is crucial to consult the prescribing information or a pharmacist for the correct paediatric dosage of HIV treatments like protease inhibitors.

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is the standard for managing HIV/AIDS, utilizing a combination of antiretroviral drugs targeting different points of the HIV life-cycle to reduce the burden of the virus, preserve the immune system, and prevent the spread of HIV.