title: High Treatment Retention Rate in HIV-Infected Patients Receiving Antiretroviral Therapy at Two Large HIV Clinics in Hanoi, Vietnam.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Loss to follow-up (LTFU) is viewed as a major challenge in improving retention in HIV treatment. In Vietnam, the reasons for disengagement from clinics and the effect of injection drug use (IDU) on LTFU with unknown outcome (true LTFU) are not well known.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) from two HIV clinics in Hanoi were included in this observational study between 2007 and 2012, and followed up every 6 months until the end of 2013. The reasons for disengagement from the clinic, and ART status during imprisonment were investigated in patients with a history of IDU to identify true LTFU. The retention rate at 6-54 months and true LTFU rate were calculated. Cox proportional hazards regression models were performed to identify factors associated with true LTFU.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 1,431 patients, with a follow-up time of 4,371 person-years (median 2.49 years). At the end of the follow-up period, 71 (5.0%) patients died, 79 (5.5%) transferred to other clinics, 16 (1.1%) disengaged from the clinics, and the calculated true LTFU was 45 (3.1%), with 12-month ART retention rate of 95.3% for the entire study population. Imprisonment was the most frequent reason for disengagement from the clinics. True LTFU correlated significantly with low CD4 count and high plasma viral load, but not history of IDU.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Imprisonment is a major cause of disengagement from HIV care among patients with a history of IDU.
authors.affiliation: AIDS Clinical Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan; Graduate School of Public Health, Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Shoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.affiliation: AIDS Clinical Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Junko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tanuma
authors.affiliation: AIDS Clinical Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan; Center for AIDS Research, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mizushima
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Bach Mai Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Ngoc Chi Thi
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Bach Mai Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Thanh Thuy Thi
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Pham
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Bach Mai Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Cuong Duy
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Do
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Bach Mai Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Tuan Quang
authors.initials: TQ
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: National Hospital of Tropical Diseases, Hanoi, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Dung Thi
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: National Hospital of Tropical Diseases, Hanoi, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Hoai Dung Thi
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: National Hospital of Tropical Diseases, Hanoi, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Lam Tien
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: National Hospital of Tropical Diseases, Hanoi, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Kinh Van
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: AIDS Clinical Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oka
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D014744:Vietnam; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents