3197.1: Monday, November 13, 2000 - Board 4

Abstract #3715

Survival of AIDS patients according to injecting drug use in a cohort of puerto rican AIDS patients

Diana M. Fernández-Santos, MS, María A. Gómez, PhD, Miriam Velázquez, MS, Angel M. Mayor, MD, MS, Octavio Gómez, MD, and Robert F. Hunter, MD. Internal Medicine Department, Retrovirus Research Center, Universidad Central del Caribe, Bayamón, Puerto Rico, Call Box 60327, Bayamón, PR 00960-6032, (787) 787-8722, mgomez@caribe.net

Objectives: This paper aims to: (1) describe IDU's (injecting drug users) and non-IDU's according to age, gender, AIDS criteria and antiretroviral use; and (2) assess survival differences between IDU's and non-IDU's according to age, gender, AIDS diagnosis criteria and antiretroviral use. Methods: This study is a survival study of a longitudinal cohort. The sample was composed of 1124 AIDS patients of a cohort of HIV-infected adults who sought medical care at the Bayamón health service facilities between January of 1992 and December of 1998. The variables studied were: survival time of AIDS, intravenous drug use, age, gender, AIDS defining criteria (clinical or immunological) and antiretroviral therapy (yes/no). The Kaplan-Meier procedure was used to analyze the median survival. Results: Significant difference (p=0.0012) was found on survival between IDU's and non-IDU's, where IDU's had lower survival (median: 14 months) than non-IDU's (median: 20 months). Significant differences (p<0.05) in the survival functions (IDU's vs. non-IDU's) were found among male patients, younger patients, patients with immunological criteria and antiretroviral use. The survival among these variables was lower in IDU's than non-IDU's. Conclusions: This study suggested than variables related with low survival among IDU's were male patients, younger patients, patients with immunological criteria for AIDS diagnosis and antiretroviral use. Clinical endeavors should take in consideration the variables related with IDU's survival to develop health programs to enhance the quality of life and the survival of the AIDS patient. Sponsored by RCMI/NIH grant number G12RR03035 and CDC/ASD grant number U62/CCU206209.

Learning Objectives: 1. Identify the survival time distribution of puerto rican IDU's and non IDU's. 2. Evaluate differences in the survival distribution among IDU's and non-IDU's. 3. Discuss the implications of these findings in the study of AIDS among latinos

Keywords: HIV/AIDS, Injection Drug Users

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

The 128th Annual Meeting of APHA