HIV-specific health care utilization and mortality among tuberculosis/HIV coinfected persons.

Persons coinfected with tuberculosis (TB) and HIV are at high risk of death, in part due to suboptimal utilization of HIV-specific health care. We sought to better understand HIV-associated health care utilization and mortality in a retrospective cohort of TB/HIV coinfected cases reported in North Carolina 1993-2003. In this cohort, HIV was newly diagnosed during TB presentation for 34.2% of coinfected patients. Patients had advanced HIV (median CD4 104 cells/mm(3)) at TB diagnosis. Of 260 patients previously known to be HIV positive, 32.3% had seen a physician for HIV care in the previous 6 months and only 18.5% were taking antiretrovirals when TB was diagnosed; 34.8% of patients started antiretrovirals during TB treatment. Twenty-seven (5%) patients died prior to starting TB treatment; of those who survived, 13.6% (70/515) died prior to completing TB treatment, and 42.7% (220/515) died during a median 1408 days of follow-up. CD4 count (relative risk [RR] 0.53 per 100 cell increase, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.34, 1.02) and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) use during TB therapy (RR 0.37, 95% CI 0.13, 1.02) were independently associated with decreased mortality, while age greater than 45 (RR 2.18, 95% CI 1.11, 4.29) was independently associated with increased mortality during TB treatment. We conclude that TB/HIV coinfected patients had low utilization rates of HIV-specific care prior to TB diagnosis. Many did not receive potentially lifesaving HIV treatment while on TB therapy, and mortality was high as a result. Interventions to enhance utilization of HIV-related health care and integration of TB and HIV services should be studied to improve outcomes.

Duke Scholars

Author Carol Dukes Hamilton Medicine, Infectious Diseases

Author Jason Eric Stout Medicine, Infectious Diseases