Same-day ART start improves HIV outcomes
Rapid ART initiation raised 90-day treatment start and 10-month viral suppression versus standard multi-visit initiation.
Source
Initiating Antiretroviral Therapy for HIV at a Patient's First Clinic Visit: The RapIT Randomized Controlled Trial
What they did
RapIT randomised adults at two public clinics to accelerated first-visit ART initiation versus usual stepwise initiation, then compared ART start by 90 days and viral suppression by 10 months.
What they found
Of 463 enrolled, rapid-arm patients initiated ART by 90 days far more often (97% vs 72%) and had higher 10-month suppression (64% vs 51%).
The limits
What it doesn't show
Unblinded service trial in two clinics may not generalise to all settings; suppression was not universal even in the rapid arm.
Key terms
- RapIT
- Rapid Initiation of Treatment randomised service trial.
- ART
- Antiretroviral therapy for HIV.
- Viral suppression
- Plasma HIV RNA reduced below the study threshold.
- Same-day initiation
- Starting ART at or near the first clinic visit.
- Risk difference
- Absolute percentage-point difference between arms.
- Standard care
- Usual multi-visit ART preparation pathway.
Flashcards
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RapIT compared:
Common questions
90-day initiation rapid vs standard?
97% vs 72%.
10-month suppression?
64% vs 51%.
How many enrolled?
463.
Was it randomised?
Yes—unblinded individually randomised.
More on Randomized trials