Dideoxyinosine in Children with Symptomatic Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

THE growing number of children infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) makes it imperative that pediatricians rapidly evaluate all potentially useful antiretroviral agents. Zidovudine (formerly azidothymidine, or AZT) decreases morbidity and mortality from HIV infection in adults and children. 1 2 3 4 However, the benefits of zidovudine can be limited by intolerance and toxicity (particularly myelosuppression) 1 , 5 , 6 and by refractory disease. 7 Recent studies suggest that dideoxyinosine (ddI), an agent that induces less myelosuppression than zidovudine, may have an important role in the treatment of patients in whom the disease is refractory to zidovudine therapy or who have intolerance to zidovudine and that it . . .