What are the side effects of HIV PEP?
Side effects of HIV PEP regimens are common and occur in 30%-50% of patients. Severe side effects occur in 5%-30% of patients and often require discontinuation. Common side effects include gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain; rash; fatigue; headache and dizziness; cytopenia; neuropathy; hepatitis; and many others. In reported series to date, over half of HCP in PEP programs fail to complete their 28-day regimens because of side effects. Regularly scheduled followup either in person or by phone has been shown to greatly improve adherence. Refer to other chapters for more detail on symptom management and metabolic complications with ART. What medication toxicities should be monitored? Regular laboratory evaluation for medication toxicity and seroconversion should be performed (see Table 11-5). A complete blood count and renal and hepatic function tests should be done before initiating PEP and repeated in 2 weeks. Continued monitoring is recomm
