title: Marked improvement in survival among adult Croatian AIDS patients after the introduction of highly active antiretroviral treatment.
abstract: We compared the survival of patients following the first AIDS event in Croatia from the period 1986-1996 to the period 1997-2000. A total of 72 (81.8%) out of 88 patients from 1986-1996 and 18 (32.1%) out of 56 from 1997-2000 died. Survival following the first AIDS-defining illness markedly improved in the period 1997-2000 compared to the period 1986-1996 (adjusted Hazard Ratio (HR) for patients surviving more than 6 months: 0.11, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 0.04-0.29). A CD4+ cell count of < 100 x 10(6)/L was an independent risk factor for patients surviving up to 2 years (adjusted HR = 1.96, 95% CI = 1.1-3.43, p = 0.02). Patients with tuberculosis or fungal infections had a longer survival when compared to other diagnosis (adjusted HR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.32-0.90, p = 0.01). However, despite dramatic survival benefit of combination antiretroviral therapy, mortality at six months following the first AIDS event was similar in the two study periods and the one-year probability of death was still substantial (27.2%) in the period 1997-2000.
authors.affiliation: Department of HIV/AIDS, University Hospital of Infectious Diseases "Dr. Fran Mihaljević", Zagreb, Croatia. jbegovac@bfm.hr
authors.forename: Josip
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Begovac
authors.forename: Miroslav
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lisić
authors.forename: Davorka
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lukas
authors.forename: Tomislav
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maretić
authors.forename: Tihana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kniewald
authors.forename: Thomas E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Novotny
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D017523:Croatia; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis