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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Doris V. Báez, MSc, María A. Gómez, PhD, Diana María Fernández, MS, Miriam Velázquez, MS, Alejandro Amill, MPH, and Robert F. Hunter, MD. Internal Medicine Department, Retrovirus Research Center, Universidad Central del Caribe, Call Box 60327, Bayamón, PR 00960-6032, (787) 787-8710, dbaez@uccaribe.edu
Objective: The present study aims to assess differences in key variables between patients with (TP) and without Toxoplasmosis of the brain (non-TP) pertaining to a cohort of (n=1,491) AIDS patients admitted to the HIV Central Registry of the Retrovirus Research Center in P.R. until December 2001 (49% of the entire HIV Central Registry). Methods: Descriptive study of a cohort of patients arriving to health care facilities of Bayamón, P.R., with criteria of AIDS diagnosis was done. Chi-square (x²) and Median Test were performed to assess the potential significant differences of variables between TP and non-TP group. Results: The median age for patients were 37, with a larger proportion of women in the TP group (28% vs. 25%). Comparisons between TP and non-TP patients revealed a higher proportion of Intravenous Drug User (IDU’s) (57% vs. 49%) (p<0.069). Most patients with TP arrived throughout the hospital facilities while non-TP came mostly from the ambulatory facilities (p<0.001). Median CD4 counts were significantly lower (p=0.0064) in the TP group (49cells/mm³ vs. 68cells/mm³). TP patients (n=141) were diagnosed with AIDS by clinical criteria vs. non-TP for half of whom diagnostic was made by immunological criteria (p<0.001). Statistically significant differences in proportions were observed in the use of antiretroviral therapies: (14% TP vs. 30% non-TP) (p<0.001). Night sweats are more frequently reported for by non-TP (34%) vs. TP (49%)(p<0.001). Conclusion: Patients in the TP group are more likely to be IDU’s arriving to the health care facilities with a higher immunocompromise.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: HIV/AIDS, Infectious Diseases
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.