Pre-AIDS mortality in HIV-infected individuals in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 1982-1996.
OBJECTIVE
To assess pre-AIDS mortality in HIV-infected patients in England, Wales and Northern Ireland during the period 1982-1996.


METHODS
Surveillance data on pre-AIDS and AIDS deaths reported to the PHLS-AIDS Centre were analysed.


METHODS
Pre-AIDS mortality was estimated as the proportion of pre-AIDS deaths among all deaths in HIV-infected people. Trends over time in the number of pre-AIDS and AIDS deaths were compared using Poisson regression with logarithmic link. Causes of pre-AIDS deaths were recorded. Comparisons were made between the pre-AIDS and the AIDS death groups by logistic regression for: age, location of residence at death, year of death and risk exposure.


RESULTS
Four-hundred and sixty-eight pre-AIDS deaths and 8574 AIDS deaths were identified. Pre-AIDS mortality accounted for 5.0% of HIV-related deaths. Trends over time in the number of pre-AIDS and AIDS deaths were not significantly different (P=0.11). Reported causes of pre-AIDS death included pneumonia (92), liver disease (62), septicaemia (51), malignancies (49), suicide (45), cardiopulmonary causes (46), haemorrhage (42), overdose (24) and accidental causes (24). Factors positively associated with pre-AIDS death were injecting drug use, haemophilia and blood transfusion, residence outside the Thames regions, and death at an older age.


CONCLUSIONS
Pre-AIDS mortality represents a substantial proportion of HIV mortality, particularly where injecting drug use is a frequent route of HIV transmission.
Laurichesse
H A
HA
Public Health Laboratory Service AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases Centre, Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, London, UK.
Mortimer
J
J
Evans
B G
BG
Farrington
C P
CP
D000328:Adult; D002423:Cause of Death / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D018805:Sepsis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology