SURVIVAL ANALYSIS OF HIV POSITIVE PATIENTS TAKING ANTI-RETROVIRAL THERAPY UNDER NATIONAL AIDS CONTROL PROGRAMME IN GUJARAT
METHODS: It was a retrospective cohort study where secondary data of HIV Positive Patients on ART who had been registered under NACP at the ART centre, New Civil Hospital in Surat city since the beginning of ART programme (September, 2006), until January, 2013 were included (Total 7532 HIV-infected individuals). Data collection was done by data extraction from the available standard registers of ART centre. Data management & analysis was done with SPSS 20. Tools used for survival analysis were Kaplan Meier Survival curves, Log rank test & Cox’ proportional hazard regression model.
RESULTS: In HIV positive patients on ART, mean survival time was around 66 month & the probability of survival at 75 months was 84.9%. On univariate analysis, significant association was observed between higher hazard of death in HIV patients on ART & age >=35 years; occupational class IV & VI as compared to class I; pre ART CD4 count <350/mm3; pre ART & recent functional status as ambulatory & bedridden; pre ART & recent WHO stage II, III & IV; recent weight <=50 Kg; one or more Opportunistic Infections; Co-trimoxazole therapy; <95% adherence to ART; and first-line ART regimen as compared to second-line ART regimen. On multivariate analysis, recent on ART functional status (ambulatory), recent on ART WHO stage (Stage II, III, IV), recent weight (<50 kg), Co-trimoxazole therapy, were found to be significant predictors of the higher hazard of death.
CONCLUSIONS: The study concludes that the HIV patient’s tends to have prolonged survival probabilities on ART. Pre ART clinical status of the patient has an important influence on the ultimate survival of the patients.