Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41462137›Full record

SynthesisBMC infectious diseases2025

The prevalence of adverse drug reactions to antiretroviral therapy and associated factors among pediatric patients living with HIV in sub-Saharan African countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Bukola R Omotoso, Anthony A Olashore, Joseph B Sempa, Omotayo S Alaofin, Mukesh Dheda, Nomakhuwa E Tabane, Kadimo K Khutsafalo, Thabiso R Mofokeng

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC infectious diseases, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Bukola R OmotosoDepartment of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa. Omotoso.br@ufs.ac.za.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7989-6959
Anthony A OlashoreDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana.
Joseph B SempaDepartment of Biostatistics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
Omotayo S AlaofinDivision of Family Medicine, Department of Family, Community and Emergency Care, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Mukesh DhedaPharmacovigilance Centre for Public Health Programmes, National Department of Health, Dr AB Xuma Building, 1112 Voortrekker Rd, Pretoria, Townlands, 351-JR, South Africa.
Nomakhuwa E TabaneDepartment of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
Kadimo K KhutsafaloMedical Liberian, Faculty of Medicine, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana.
Thabiso R MofokengDepartment of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe greatest burden of HIV infection is in sub-Saharan African countries. The burden of treatment failure among children living with HIV remains significantly high due to delayed diagnosis and antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation, low ART adherence rate, virological non-suppression, and incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to ART, among other factors. Therefore, this systematic review aims to estimate the pooled prevalence of ADRs among HIV-positive pediatric patients on ART in sub-Saharan Africa, identify the types, and examine associated risk factors as documented in the literature.

methodsThis review is based on a systematic and extensive search of PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, Web of Science, and EBSCOHost. Data were extracted from the included studies using the data extraction form designed by the team. A meta-analysis was done using R statistics, version 4.3.2.

resultsA total of nine articles were included. The pooled estimate of ADRs among children on ART was statistically significant 26% (95% CI 0.15, 0.36; P-value < 0.001) with high heterogeneity. The types of ADRs reported in the included studies are gastrointestinal, dermatological, central nervous system, hematological, liver pathology, metabolic disorder, cardiovascular, and hormonal imbalance symptoms. Some of the factors associated with the occurrence of ADRs include treatment duration, the combination of ART used, sex, age, malnutrition, and compliance. The pooled prevalence of mortality among children on ART was statistically significant, with high heterogeneity.

conclusionThe review highlighted the prevalence and factors associated with ADRs in HIV-positive children on ART in the SSA countries. As the SSA countries battle to achieve the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets in this vulnerable population, preliminary insights from this review can help inform policies on integrating spontaneous reporting of ADRs and pharmacovigilance into the service delivery component of pediatric ART. This intervention will support patient retention in care, as ADRs are a significant cause of medication non-adherence. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.

Indexed as

Anti-HIV AgentsDrug-Related Side Effects and Adverse ReactionsHIV InfectionsAdolescentAfrica South of the SaharaChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansMalePrevalenceRisk FactorsAnti-HIV AgentsAdverse drug reactionsAntiretroviral drugsAntiretroviral therapyPediatricSub-Saharan Africa

Identifiers

PMID41462137
PMCPMC12750582

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.