FACTORS AFFECTING ADMISSION TO ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY IN HIV-INFECTED PEOPLE REW AIDS PATIENTS TRANG HOSPITAL

Abstract

Abstract

          The purpose of this study was to review data from new HIV infected and AIDS patients who came to initiate their first anti-retroviral treatment at Trang hospital and to study factor affecting time to receive ART which referred to duration from HIV diagnosis to receiving anti-retroviral therapy (ART).  Data were retrieved from database of the National AIDS Program (NAP) which data on the provision of ART services for HIV infected persons and AIDS patients were kept, and from medical record of the patients, Trang Hospital. Data were completed for analysis in 82 cases and they were cases between 1 October 2017 to 30 September 2018.  Descriptive and inferential statistics including independent sample t-test, one-way ANOVA and Pearson correlation were used in the analysis.

          The study showed that majority of HIV cases and AIDS patients were male (68.3%) and married (67.1%) with an average age of 40.19+10.92 years old.  65.9% of the subjects’ occupation was employee and 43.9% lived in Muang district of Trang province.  64.6% was under universal coverage health insurance program. It was found that factor affecting time to receive ART was symptoms of opportunistic infection (OI).  Cases without OI symptom received ART quicker than the one with OI symptoms (21 and 48 days respectively) (p<0.01).  We also found that CD4 cell counts of the patients without OI symptom was higher than those with OI symptoms (336.79+198.95 and 175.93+109.68 cells/µL respectively) (p<0.01).

          It is likely that the cause of the delay in receiving ART among HIV infected persons and AIDS patients with OI symptoms was due to time needed to treat OI especially the treatment for tuberculosis.  Therefore, it is recommended to find HIV infected persons and AIDS patients to start ART treatment as early as possible.