AIDSWEEKLY Plus; Monday, May 11, 2009
Staff Medical Writers

2009 MAY 11 - (NewsRx.com) -- "Thailand began a national antiretroviral (ARV) treatment program in 2000, and all government and some private and university hospitals now provide treatment to eligible HIV-infected patients. We describe program scale-up and patient outcomes from 2000 to 2007," investigators in Nonthaburi, Thailand report (see also HIV/AIDS).

"Data from 839 hospitals in all 76 provinces of Thailand were included in this analysis. Outcomes were assessed for patients initiating ARV treatment from January 2000 to December 2005. Follow-Lip data through March 2007 were included; lost to follow-up was defined as >3 months late for a follow-up visit. A Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess risk factors for death; the Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate survival probabilities. Outcome data are reported for 58,008 patients. Among these, 52.2% were male; at treatment initiation, the median age was 34 years, the median CD4 count was 41 cells per cubic millimeter, and 50.5% had AIDS. The initial regimen was nevirapine and 2 nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors for 92.4% of patients; median follow-Lip time was 1.6 years (interquartile range = 0.8-2.4 years). Lost to follow-up occurred in 8.8% of patients. Overall 1-year survival was 0.89 (95% confidence interval = 0.88 to 0.89). Death was significantly associated with male sex, age >40 years, baseline CD4 Count <100 cells per cubic millimeter, symptomatic HIV or AIDS, receipt of services at a district or community hospital, and treatment initiation before 2005. National ARV treatment programs can be scaled up rapidly with good patient outcomes," wrote S. Chasombat and colleagues, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The researchers concluded: "Treatment outcomes among patients in Thailand are comparable to those reported in smaller cohorts in other countries, and Survival rates have improved since 2004."

Chasombat and colleagues published their study in Jaids - Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (National Expansion of Antiretroviral Treatment in Thailand, 2000-2007: Program Scale-Up and Patient Outcomes. JAIDS - J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2009 Apr 15;50(5):506-12.

For additional information, contact S. Chasombat, Thailand MOPH US CDC Collaborat, Minist Public Health, Tivanon Rd., Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand.

The publisher of the Jaids - Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes can be contacted at: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 530 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19106-3621, USA.

Keywords: Thailand, Nonthaburi, HIV/AIDS, AIDS, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Antivirals, HIV, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Immunology, Nonnucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor, Sexually Transmitted Disease, Virology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This article was prepared by AIDS Weekly editors from staff and other reports.

2009-05-11
AW090505

Copyright © 2009 - Charles Henderson, Publisher. All rights Reserved. Permission to reproduce granted to AEGIS by Charles W. Henderson. Authorization to reproduce for personal use granted granted by C. W. Henderson, Publisher, provided that the fee of US$4.50 per copy, per page is paid directly to the Copyright Clearance Center, 27 Congress Street, Salem, Massachusetts 01970, USA. Published by Charles Henderson, Publisher. Editorial & Publishing Office: P.O. Box 5528, Atlanta, GA 30307-0528 / Telephone: (800) 633-4931; Subscription Office: P.O. Box 830409, Birmingham, AL 35283-0409 / FAX: (205) 995-1588 http://www.newsrx.net

AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted grants from the National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2009. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.