Virological Suppression Achieved with Suboptimal Adherence Levels among South African Children Receiving Boosted Protease Inhibitor–Based Antiretroviral Therapy

Sixty-six children who were receiving antiretroviral treatment were assessed for treatment adherence and virological outcome to compare boosted protease inhibitor-based regimens with nonnucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor-based regimens. Children who were receiving protease inhibitor-based regimens demonstrated higher rates of virological suppression, even with poor treatment adherence (<80%). In children, boosted protease inhibitors seem to be more forgiving of poor adherence than do nonnucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors.