title: [HIV/AIDS patients in a Critical Care Unit: The experience of a general hospital in a developing country].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Despite general availability of HAART in Chile, admissions of HIV/AIDS patients to Intensive-Intermediate Care Units (IICU) are still happening, and a characterization of patient's profile, mortality and potentially avoidable admissions is necessary.
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational retrospective study in one general hospital in Chile of HIV/AIDS patients admitted to IICU during 9 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During 2005-2013, 32 patients were admitted to IICU, with 87,5% in AIDS stage, only 53,1% knew his/her condition, 43,8% were receiving HAART and 16.6% chemoprophylaxis for opportunistic infections, A CD4 count < 200/µL was registered in 75,9% of patients. Most admissions were driven by infectious conditions (84,4%) and 48,1% developed septic shock, IICU hospitalizations were motivated by respiratory failure, neurologic compromise, sepsis or a mixture of them (87,5%), By univariate analysis, admissions by respiratory failure were associated to no HAART, oral candidiasis or CD4 < 250/µL (p < 0.01). Eight patients died during their first hospitalization (25%) and other 5 in the following month after discharge. Death during hospitalization was significantly associated to vasoactive drug use ≥ 7 days (OR 16.5; IC95 2.1-128 p < 0.01). In multivariate analysis, APACHE score ≥ 18 was associated with death during hospitalization of after discharge (OR 3,3 IC95 1,1-10; p < 0,05), Four patients (12,5%) had potentially avoidable admissions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite HAART availability in Chile, hospitalizations of patients with HIV/AIDS are still happening, affecting those that either are unaware of his/her condition, are not receiving HAART and/or chemoprophylaxis. These admissions generate premature deaths and happen even after discharge in severely ill patients.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Verdugo
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: Paulo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Charpentier
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Von Mühlenbrock
authors.forename: Andrés
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soto
authors.forename: Jeannette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dabanch
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fica
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult