Predictors of Survival of Hiv-Infected Adult Patients Taking Haart At Hawassa University Referral Hospital

Tuesday, April 24, 2012
D: Dennis G. Carlson (Millennium Hall)
Asressie Molla Tessema, MPH Hawassa University, Ethiopia
Yigzaw Kebede University of Gondar, Ethiopia
Telake Azale University of Gondar, Ethiopia
Introduction: The discovery of combined antiretroviral therapy was the turning point that changed the outlook of AIDS from virtually a death sentence to a chronic manageable disease. Although field of HIV medicine rapidly changing, there is a lack of recent knowledge about the predictors of survival HIV infected patients taking HAART. 

Objective: Assessing the predictors of survival for patients taking highly active antiretroviral therapy.

Methods: Retrospective three years follow up study was employed for randomly selected 436 HIV infected adult patients on HAART at Hawassa University referral hospital. Data was collected from the patients’ record by trained BSc. nurses using pretested and structured checklist. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate survival and to identify predictors respectively.

Result: 257 (58.9%) study subjects were females and the median age of patients was 31years (IQR=27-39). one hundred ninety nine (45.6%) were ambulatory and bedridden in functional status, 413 (94.7%) were in stage III & IV at the initiation of ART and 285 (65.4%) were having CD4 cell count less than 200cells/µl. There were 52 deaths during follow up period, of which 32 (61.5%) & 42 (80.8%) were within the first three and six months of treatment initiation respectively. The cumulative probabilities of survival were 90%, 88%, 87.5% and 87% at 6, 12, 24 and 36 months respectively. Being male (HR=1.961), bedridden (HR=6.023), CD4 count below 50cells/µl (HR=3.388), not using chemoprophylaxis (HR=2.883) and hemoglobin level below 10mg/dl (HR=6.393) were statistically significant predictors of survival. Indicating that being male, bedridden, CD4 count less than 50cells/µl, not using chemoprophylaxis and hemoglobin level <10mg/dl will increase the risk of death of HIV infected patients taking ART with.

Conclusion: Delayed initiation, being anemic, male sex and not taking chemoprophylaxis plays an important role in the survival of patients on HAART.


Learning Objectives: 1.To estimate the survival of patients taking highly active antiretroviral therapy at Awassa referral hospital, SNNPR. 2.To determine the predictors of survival for patients who are taking highly active antiretroviral therapy at Awassa referral hospital, SNNPR.
See more of: HIV/AIDS
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