title: The impact of HIV infection in a rural hospital in Haiti.
abstract: To assess the impact of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV) infection on the patients treated at the Medicine Department of the Hôpital Albert Schweitzer (HAS) in Haiti and the economic costs to this institution that their medical care caused, a group of HIV infected patients was followed and compared to a control group of non-infected patients. Infected patients had a significantly higher number of diagnoses suggestive of HIV infection and of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and also had a higher rate of mortality during the follow-up period. Infected patients attended the out-patient Medicine Clinic and were hospitalized more frequently than non-infected patients. The yearly cost of treating an HIV patient was estimated to be about US $860. We suggest that a wider use of HIV testing might be beneficial among patients such as ours for providing adequate care for them if the necessary resources are made available.
authors.affiliation: Hôpital Albert Schweitzer, Deschapelles, Haiti.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Ollé-Goig
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodés
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Casabona
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006205:Haiti / Q000453:epidemiology; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006780:Hospitals, Rural / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012423:Rural Health; D012424:Rural Population; D017678:Sex Distribution