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Background: Crushing or dissolving bictegravir/tenofovir alafenamide/emtricitabine (BIC/TAF/FTC) tablets is not recommended because there are no data supporting this practice., Methods: A crossover, randomized trial in healthy adults (NCT04244448) investigated the bioavailability of two off-label uses of BIC/TAF/FTC (50/200/25 mg), dissolved in water or crushed in apple compote, compared with the solid tablet. Pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters were estimated from sequential intensive plasma antiretroviral concentrations over a 72 h period post dose. Bioequivalence was met if the 90% CIs of the geometric least-squares means ratios comparing BIC/TAF/FTC exposures (AUC and Cmax) from the experimental phases were within 80%-125% of the reference., Results: Eighteen subjects participated in each of the three phases. Dissolved tablet Cmax geometric mean ratio (90% CI) for BIC/TAF/FTC was 105% (93-119)/97% (87-108)/96% (74-124), respectively. Dissolved tablet AUC geometric mean ratio (90% CI) for BIC/TAF/FTC was 111% (100-122)/100% (94 to 105)/99% (81 to 120), respectively. Crushed tablet Cmax geometric mean ratio (90%) CI for BIC/TAF/FTC was 110% (97 to 124)/70% (63-78)/66% (51-85), respectively. Crushed tablet AUC geometric mean ratio (90%) CI for BIC/TAF/FTC was 107% (96-118)/86% (82-91)/84% (69-103), respectively., Conclusions: Crushing BIC/TAF/FTC tablets may lead to suboptimal emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide drug exposures. Dissolving BIC/TAF/FTC in water may be acceptable if the tablet cannot be swallowed whole., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.)

Data regarding the efficacy of Rapid HIV tests (RHTs) in detecting non-B subtype HIV-1 are limited. We evaluated the sensitivity of the INSTI® test for the detection of HIV-1 antibodies for the diagnosis of HIV-1 non-B subtypes and recombinant variants. We identified adults with HIV-1 infection due to non-B subtypes and recombinant variants. The participants were re-tested with INSTI® test. We included 258 patients. Overall, the INSTI® test sensitivity was 98.4% (95%CI: 96.9-99.9%). For the major CRF_02AG subtype, the sensitivity was 99.0% (95%CI: 97.1-100%). The HIV INSTI® test is reliable for the detection of various non-B HIV-1 antibodies., (© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Schools are a source of epidemic seasonal dissemination-in particular gastroenteritis among children and the general population. We assessed the impact of an alcohol-based sanitizer on gastroenteritis and its subsequent consequences., Methods: A study was conducted in 2 primary schools over a 17-week period, before and throughout the seasonal gastroenteritis period. The intervention, under strict teacher supervision and in a realistic and long lasting manner, consisted of 1 school rubbing an alcohol-based sanitizer into the hands of the school children. The primary outcome was the proportion of children without any occurrence of gastroenteritis during the study period both in the treated group and the control group, which were 2 separate schools. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess the hazard ratio. Secondary outcomes were the number of gastroenteritis episodes, doctor appointments, absenteeism, and working days lost by a parent., Results: Four thousand six hundred fifty-four weekly questionnaires were collected. One hundred fifty-five children presented with at least 1 occurrence of gastroenteritis during the study period: 64 of 259 in the treatment group and 91 of 217 in the control group (χ2 = 16.4, P < 0.0001). The instantaneous risk of primary infection, at any time of the study, for children receiving the treatment was multiplied by 0.52 (95% CI: [0.37,0.71]) compared with children not receiving the treatment. The average number of gastroenteritis episodes was 0.31 in the treatment group and 0.53 in the control group (P < 0.001)., Conclusions: Systematic and controlled use of alcohol-based sanitizers during the epidemic season could significantly reduce the incidence of gastroenteritis in primary school children.