[HIV patient hospitalization during the pre and post-HAART era]

HIV patient hospitalization during the pre and post-HAART era. The purpose of this study was to describe and to compare the characteristics of patient admissions during two periods, one pre HAART and the other when HAART was fully available. A retrospective analysis of demographic data, ambulatory care information and hospitalization characteristics was performed. Causes of admission, outcome, mortality, length of hospitalization and type of antiretroviral therapy were analyzed. A total of 330 medical records were reviewed, corresponding to 522 admissions during both study periods: 1995-96 (n = 289) and 2001-02 (n = 233). The most frequent causes of hospitalization were AIDS defining events (period 1: 57.1%; period 2: 59.7%). Tuberculosis was the main cause of admission in both periods (23.9% and 15.5%). Criptococosis (3.5%-7.3%), Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (5.9%-9.4%), and CNS toxoplasmosis (6.9 -8.6%) followed tuberculosis. Mortality did not vary significantly (13.5%-16.1%). HIV-1 infection was diagnosed at admission in 30% of cases. During 2nd period, a significant decrease in re-admission (41.6-26.8%) was observed, whereas there was an increase in the percentage of patients with previous antiretroviral treatment on admission (8%-25%). An increase in the ambulatory care clinic consultations (1995: n = 1678; 1996: n = 2512; 2001: n = 5670; 2002: n = 7074) was observed. No significant differences in the causes of admission and outcome in both periods were found. Tuberculosis is the most frequent disease that motivates hospitalization. The relation between ambulatory consultations and the amount of admissions significantly increased.