Treatment for HIV

OP

Original post by Puddles the Monkey

Probably something to do with the number of tablets to be dispensed?

qid/bid is the number of times the medicine needs to be taken/day I believe.

thanks. I thought n = number of tablets until I realised that
Comb (=2drugs), FosAMP and RTV (in total 4 drugs) with a dose (bid) of twice a day had n = 6.

I do not understand how this could be so I guessed it had to be something else.
do you perhaps know where I could find similar information to this online? i haven't been able to source anything yet
thanks

Reply 3

Original post by jsmith6131

thanks. I thought n = number of tablets until I realised that
Comb (=2drugs), FosAMP and RTV (in total 4 drugs) with a dose (bid) of twice a day had n = 6.

What does comb stand for? Combination?

Reply 4

OP

Original post by Puddles the Monkey

What does comb stand for? Combination?

ye it s a specific combination of Ziduvedine and Lamivudine

if they are given as one drug then Comb/LPV/RTV bid = 8 doesn't make sense

either way once of them doesn't make sense!!

Reply 5

Original post by jsmith6131

ye it s a specific combination of Ziduvedine and Lamivudine

if they are given as one drug then Comb/LPV/RTV bid = 8 doesn't make sense

either way once of them doesn't make sense!!

Yup.

I don't know either then! :dontknow:

Reply 6

OP

Original post by Puddles the Monkey

Yup.

I don't know either then! :dontknow:

ok thanks anyway :smile:

Reply 7

nexttime

22

Original post by jsmith6131

thanks. I thought n = number of tablets until I realised that
Comb (=2drugs), FosAMP and RTV (in total 4 drugs) with a dose (bid) of twice a day had n = 6.

I do not understand how this could be so I guessed it had to be something else.
do you perhaps know where I could find similar information to this online? i haven't been able to source anything yet
thanks

Pretty sure its number of tablets. You can just combine tablets into different formulations - its not like fosAMP and RTV have to be separate drugs - they can be given combined.

I was looking at this table of HIV meds but its very hard to compare to the source you cited. Its not like knowing all of the HIV combinations is of any value. Unless you're planning on being a HIV specialist in the next 6 months?

http://www.aidsmeds.com/articles/DrugChart_10632.shtml

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 8

Amphiprion

Original post by jsmith6131

I appreciate this table isn't much to go by but I was hoping someone could help determine what colum "n" in this image stands for. THe table is referring to current available treatments for HIV (it is NOT from a book so I can't go back to the source sadly)

thanks

Where did you get the picture from? The context is quite important. In Science n is often used to refer to a sample size.

It seems likely to me that this image is from a research piece into the effectiveness of certain HIV treatments and comparing the results. In this case I think it's probably that n refers to the number of patients who were assigned this dosage/treatment plan.

According to what I gather from your conversation on this topic, does this make sense to you?

(edited 9 years ago)

Original post by Amphiprion

Where did you get the picture from? The context is quite important. In Science n is often used to refer to a sample size.

It seems likely to me that this image is from a research piece into the effectiveness of certain HIV treatments and comparing the results. In this case I think it's probably that n refers to the number of patients who were assigned this dosage/treatment plan.

According to what I gather from your conversation on this topic, does this make sense to you?

As part of the world's most ambitious study given the low numbers available I assume? :tongue:

QID and BID are american acronyms meaning four times per day and twice per day, fyi. In the UK we use QDS and BD.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 10

Original post by Amphiprion

Where did you get the picture from? The context is quite important. In Science n is often used to refer to a sample size.

It seems likely to me that this image is from a research piece into the effectiveness of certain HIV treatments and comparing the results. In this case I think it's probably that n refers to the number of patients who were assigned this dosage/treatment plan.

According to what I gather from your conversation on this topic, does this make sense to you?

Aren't the numbers a bit low to be sample sizes? o_O

Reply 11

Original post by nexttime

Pretty sure its number of tablets. You can just combine tablets into different formulations - its not like fosAMP and RTV have to be separate drugs - they can be given combined.

I was looking at this table of HIV meds but its very hard to compare to the source you cited. Its not like knowing all of the HIV combinations is of any value. Unless you're planning on being a HIV specialist in the next 6 months?

http://www.aidsmeds.com/articles/DrugChart_10632.shtml

I literally know nothing about this, so apologies if I seem stupid (but now I really want to know what the n stands for too!).

Comb/LPV/RTV is Kaletra, no? So that's two tablets twice a day (+ whatever else, according to the link below) - so where does the 8 come from?

http://www.kaletra.com/information/twice-daily.aspx

Reply 12

nexttime

22

Original post by Puddles the Monkey

I literally know nothing about this, so apologies if I seem stupid (but now I really want to know what the n stands for too!).

Comb/LPV/RTV is Kaletra, no? So that's two tablets twice a day (+ whatever else, according to the link below) - so where does the 8 come from?

http://www.kaletra.com/information/twice-daily.aspx

I was under the impression 'comb' was a separate entity in this table and a quick google tells me kaletra is only the lpv/rtv bit. This article references COMB as a treatment in of itself, for example (lamivudine/zidovudine)

I know very little about specific HIV treatments either - the way the table is presented just seems to strongly imply to me that its definitely number of tablets.

Reply 13

Original post by nexttime

I was under the impression 'comb' was a separate entity in this table and a quick google tells me kaletra is only the lpv/rtv bit. This article references COMB as a treatment in of itself, for example (lamivudine/zidovudine)

I know very little about specific HIV treatments either - the way the table is presented just seems to strongly imply to me that its definitely number of tablets.

Aha - does COMB refer to combivir? That's lamivudine/zidovudine in one tablet. That would still only bring the number of tablets up to 6 though.

I guess we'll never know. :dontknow:

EDIT: I asked my pharmacist friend and they reckoned it was number of tablets, also.

Reply 14

Amphiprion

Original post by nexttime

As part of the world's most ambitious study given the low numbers available I assume? :tongue:

QID and BID are american acronyms meaning four times per day and twice per day, fyi. In the UK we use QDS and BD.

Original post by Puddles the Monkey

Aren't the numbers a bit low to be sample sizes? o_O

Yea they are but the picture is out of context so difficult to know. Need OP to say if that makes sense or not. A study doesn't always have to be on a large scae it could just be from a local clinic based on their patients or something.

The numbers are low though.

I offer sample size because while it is a common use of n, n can also be used to refer to any amount of any unit be that sample size, number of repeats, number of variables etc. Knowing context would be very useful! outside of algebra equations knowing "n=24" doesn't necessarily mean much.

Reply 15

Asklepios

19

Original post by Puddles the Monkey

Aha - does COMB refer to combivir? That's lamivudine/zidovudine in one tablet. That would still only bring the number of tablets up to 6 though.

I guess we'll never know. :dontknow:

EDIT: I asked my pharmacist friend and they reckoned it was number of tablets, also.

Number of tablets kinda makes sense I guess. I don't really know much about antiretrovirals, but found this: http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/drugs/244/ritonavir/0/professional

Taking ritonavir as an example, they say the dose should be 600mg bd, and it comes in 100mg capsules. So that fits the thinking so far!

Also, the fact it says 'low pill burden' indicates the shift from taking lots of pills to taking a few.

Posted from TSR Mobile

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 16

Original post by Asklepios

Number of tablets kinda makes sense I guess. I don't really know much about antiretrovirals, but found this: http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/drugs/244/ritonavir/0/professional

Taking ritonavir as an example, they say the dose should be 600mg bd, and it comes in 100mg capsules. So that fits the thinking so far!

Also, the fact it says 'low pill burden' indicates the shift from taking lots of pills to taking a few.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Numbers don't add up for some of the others - but maybe that's just because the available dosages have changed?

Reply 17

OP