Knowledge of HIV-positivity had no impact on AIDS survival time among Danish AIDS patients 1980-95.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the impact of the time period from first positive HIV test to AIDS diagnosis and other variables on survival after AIDS diagnosis.


METHODS
All adult AIDS patients diagnosed and reported to the national surveillance unit in Denmark in the period 1980 through June 1995.


RESULTS
A total of 1745 patients was diagnosed in the period, and for 1631 (93.5%) the date of first positive HIV test was known. The median interval between this test and AIDS diagnosis was 912 d. Overall, 473 patients (29.0%) were found to be HIV-positive close to the AIDS diagnosis (< or = 4 months). The time interval between first positive HIV test and AIDS diagnosis varied by transmission categories. Patients older than 40 y had a higher mortality than younger patients. Patients infected by blood products had the highest mortality. The survival time was shortest for patients presenting with HIV-wasting or HIV-encephalopathy or with > or = 1 AIDS-defining disease. The time interval between first positive HIV test and AIDS diagnosis had no impact on survival.


CONCLUSIONS
No association was found between survival time and the time interval between first positive HIV test and AIDS diagnosis. Older age and transmission by blood or blood products were associated with shorter survival from AIDS diagnosis.
Jensen
L
L
Department of Epidemiology, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Smith
E
E
Gottschau
A
A
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000401:mortality*; D000328:Adult; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000401:mortality / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016019:Survival Analysis