Assessment at Antiretroviral Clinics during TB Treatment Reduces Loss to Follow-Up among HIV-Infected Patients
Year: 2012
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: SETTING: A South African township clinic where loss to follow-up during TB treatment may prevent HIV-infected TB patients from receiving life-saving ART. OBJECTIVE: To determine factors associated with loss to follow-up during TB treatment. DESIGN: Regression analyses of a cohort of ART-eligible TB patients who commenced TB treatment and were followed for 24 weeks. RESULTS: Of 111 ART-eligible TB patients, 15 (14%) died in the ensuing 24 weeks. Of the remaining 96 TB patients, 11 (11%) were lost to follow-up. All TB patients lost to follow-up did not initiate ART. Of 85 TB patients in follow-up, 62 (73%) initiated ART 56 days after TB diagnosis (median, IQR 33-77 days) and 31 days after initial assessment at an ART clinic (median, IQR: 18-55 days). The median duration from TB diagnosis to initial assessment at an ART clinic was 19 days (IQR: 7-48 days). At 24 weeks, 6 of 85 (7%) TB patients who presented to an ART clinic for assessment were lost to follow-up, compared to 5 of 11 (45%) TB patients who did not present to an ART clinic for assessment. Logistic regression analysis (adjusted odds ratio = 0.1, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.03-0.66) and our Cox proportional hazards model (hazard ratio = 0.2, 95% CI: 0.04-0.68) confirmed that assessment at an ART clinic during TB treatment reduced loss to follow-up. CONCLUSION: Assessment at antiretroviral clinics for HIV care by trained health-care providers reduces loss to follow-up among HIV-infected patients with TB.
Source: PLoS ONE
Language: English
Subfield: Infectious Diseases
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,382
Funders: United States Agency for International Development, Wellcome Trust, National Institute for Health and Care Research, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Public Health Service, Medical Research Council, Fogarty International Center, European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership
Awards: G1186834426, Quadruple intervention against tuberculosis., G2283227653, Clinical proteomic and genomic characterisation of the immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in HIV-associated tuberculosis, G3022350929, G3713413865, G374283917, G3810335533, G4413777887, South Africa Tuberculosis/AIDS Training, G5250848484, G5719191341, G6079531540, G6963128492, G76681233, G8384349007, G8720865707, Establishment of a Centre for Clinical Infectious Diseases Research at the University of Cape Town (Wellcome-UCT-CCIDR).
OpenAlex ID: W2065027882