Abstract

Changes in epidemiological features surrounding HIV diagnosis in a private hospital in Buenos Aires

C. Freuler, C. Ezcurra, V. Rodríguez, M. Mayer-Wolf, R. Durlach

Hospital Alemán, Infectious Diseases, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Background: Epidemiological features surrounding newly HIV-diagnosis and their change through the years, may help to improve prevention strategies. Our hospital, a private one, with patients with high socio-economic level, did not change this profile during the last 50 years, offers an outstanding opportunity to evaluate epidemiological changes among patients.
Methods: We analyzed 267 clinical charts of newly HIV-diagnosed patients, 38 of which were from the first decade of the epidemic (1984-1993) and 142 from the last one (2000-2009). We reviewed age, gender and reason for HIV testing.
Results:
[tab_01]
F: Female. M: Male. PR: Patients request. AS: HIV associated symptoms. ARS: Acute retroviral syndrome. OI: Opportunistic infections
Conclusions: The median age of the patients increased significantly from one period to the other, similar as it is shown in the literature, with, however, a small increase in women compared to men. This can be explained because of the low number of IDU in our population resulting in a relative higher proportion of MSM.
Among the reasons for undergoing an HIV-test during the first decade, very often the diagnosis was made to fulfill patients request. In the last decade, however, most of the diagnosis were made due to physicians suspicion, pointing toward a better awareness of the disease by them.
As early diagnosis and treatment are known as essential for good outcomes, it is important to emphasize that educational programs have to be directed to both public in general and physicians.