BHIVA guidelines for the treatment of HIV infected adults with antiretroviral therapy 2008

The 2008 BHIVA Guidelines have been comprehensively revised and incorporate all the new relevant information, including presentations at CROI 2008, since the last iteration. All peer-reviewed publications and important, potentially treatment-changing abstracts over the last 2 years have been reviewed. The translation of data into clinical practice is often difficult even with the best possible evidence (i.e. that from two randomised controlled trials) because of trial design, inclusion criteria and precise surrogate marker endpoints. Recommendations based upon expert opinion have the least good evidence but perhaps provide an important reason for writing the guidelines to produce a consensual opinion about current practice. It must, however, be appreciated that such opinion is often wrong and should not stifle research to challenge it. The next revision of the BHIVA Guidelines for the treatment of HIV-1 infected adults with antiretroviral therapy is likely to be Spring 2010.