Effectiveness of antiretroviral treatment in Colombia Eficacia del tratamiento antirretrovírico en Colombia

• Main Authors: Jorge Enrique Machado-Alba, Xavier Vidal
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Spanish; Portuguese
• Published: Pan American Health Organization 2012
• Subjects: VIH; síndrome de inmunodeficiencia adquirida; terapia antirretroviral altamente activa; resultado del tratamiento; Colombia; HIV; acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; antiretroviral therapy; highly active; treatment outcome; Medicine; R; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270; Arctic; Sida
• Online Access: https://doaj.org/article/b849f29c3eb44b6c9ae5deeef8b177c3

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of antiretroviral therapies and factors associated with HIV/AIDS control in a population of patients treated by the Colombian Social Security Health System (SGSSS). METHODS: This was a descriptive study of 510 HIV/AIDS patients treated with antiretroviral therapies in 19 cities in Colombia from June 1992-April 2011. Factors assessed from each patient's clinical history were: viral load, CD4 count, antiretroviral treatment regimens, prescribed daily doses of medications, length of disease evolution, duration of therapy, history of opportunistic diseases, and drug costs. RESULTS: Patients were predominantly male (75.1% males versus 24.9% women), with a mean age of 41.0±11.4 years and an average length of disease progression of 72 months. All recommended treatment regimens were prescribed at the defined daily dose. Treatment was effective in 65.3% of patients (viral load < 50 copies per mL). Non-adherence to treatment, treatment failure, the presence of anxiety or depression, and treatment in the city of Barranquilla were associated with an increased risk of uncontrolled HIV infection. The mean annual cost of drugs per patient was US$ 2 736. CONCLUSIONS: Factors associated with uncontrolled HIV infection, especially regarding treatment adherence, must be identified to promote solutions for health care programs treating patients with HIV/AIDS. OBJETIVO: Evaluar la eficacia de los tratamientos antirretrovíricos y los factores asociados con el control del VIH/sida en una población de pacientes tratados por el Sistema General de Seguridad Social en Salud (SGSSS) colombiano. MÉTODOS: Estudio descriptivo de 510 pacientes con infección por el VIH/sida que recibieron tratamiento antirretrovírico en 19 ciudades de Colombia desde junio de 1992 a abril del 2011. Se evaluaron los siguientes factores de la historia clínica de cada paciente: la carga vírica, el recuento de linfocitos CD4, las pautas de tratamiento antirretrovírico, las dosis diarias prescritas de fármacos, el tiempo de ...