Compromise of Second-Line Antiretroviral Therapy Due to High Rates of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Drug Resistance in Mozambican Treatment-Experienced Children With Virologic Failure.

BACKGROUND: Virologic failure (VF) is highly prevalent in sub-Saharan African children on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and is often associated with human immunodeficiency virus drug resistance (DR). Most children still lack access to routine viral load (VL) monitoring for early identification of treatment failure, with implications for the efficacy of second-line ART. METHODS: Children aged 1 to 14 years on ART for ≥12 months at 6 public facilities in Maputo, Mozambique were consecutively enrolled after informed consent. Chart review and caregiver interviews were conducted. VL testing was performed, and specimens with ≥1000 copies/mL were genotyped. RESULTS: Of the 715 children included, the mean age was 103 months, 85.8% had no immunosuppression, 73.1% were taking stavudine/lamivudine/nevirapine, and 20.1% had a history prevention of mother-to-child transmission exposure. The mean time on ART was 60.0 months. VF was present in 259 patients (36.3%); 248 (95.8%) specimens were genotyped, and DR mutations were found in 238 (96.0%). Severe immunosuppression and nutritional decline were associated with DR. M184V and Y181C were the most common mutations. In the 238 patients with DR, standard second-line ART would have 0, 1, 2, and 3 effective antiretrovirals in 1 (0.4%), 74 (31.1%), 150 (63.0%), and 13 (5.5%) patients, respectively. CONCLUSION: This cohort had high rates of VF and DR with frequent compromise of second-line ART. There is urgent need to scale-up VL monitoring and heat-stable protease inhibitor formulations or integrase inhibitorsfor a more a durable first-line regimen that can feasibly be implemented in developing settings.

Vaccination and risk of lone atrial fibrillation in the active component United States military.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the hypothesis that receipt of anthrax vaccine adsorbed (AVA) increases the risk of atrial fibrillation in the absence of identifiable underlying risk factors or structural heart disease (lone atrial fibrillation). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective population-based cohort study among U.S. military personnel who were on active duty during the period from January 1, 1998 through December 31, 2006. International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes were used to identify individuals diagnosed with atrial fibrillation in the Defense Medical Surveillance System, and electronic records were screened to include only individuals without evidence of predisposing medical conditions. We used multivariable Poisson regression to estimate the risk of lone atrial fibrillation after exposure to AVA. We also evaluated possible associations with influenza and smallpox vaccines. RESULTS: Our study population consisted of 2,957,091individuals followed for 11,329,746 person-years of service. Of these, 2,435 met our case definition for lone atrial fibrillation, contributing approximately 8,383 person-years of service. 1,062,176 (36%) individuals received at least one dose of AVA; the median person time observed post-exposure was 3.6 years. We found no elevated risk of diagnosed lone atrial fibrillation associated with AVA (adjusted risk ratio = 0.99; 95% confidence interval = 0.90, 1.09; p = 0.84). No elevated risk was observed for lone atrial fibrillation associated with influenza or smallpox vaccines given during military service. CONCLUSIONS: We did not find an increased risk of lone atrial fibrillation after AVA, influenza or smallpox vaccine. These findings may be helpful in planning future vaccine safety research.

Rates of virological suppression and drug resistance in adult HIV-1-positive patients attending primary healthcare facilities in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

BACKGROUND: KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Province in South Africa has the highest HIV disease burden in the country, with an estimated population prevalence of 24.7%. A pilot sentinel surveillance project was undertaken in KZN to classify the proportion of adult patients failing first-line ART and to describe the patterns of drug resistance mutations (DRMs) in patients with virological failure (VF). METHODS: Cross-sectional surveillance of acquired HIV drug resistance was conducted in 15 sentinel ART clinics between August and November 2013. Two population groups were surveyed: on ART for 12-15 months (Cohort A) or 24-36 months (Cohort B). Plasma specimens with viral load ≥1000 copies/mL were defined as VF and genotyped for DRMs. RESULTS: A total of 1299 adults were included in the analysis. The prevalence of VF was 4.0% (95% CI 1.8-8.8) among 540 adults in Cohort A and 7.7% (95% CI 4.4-13.0) of 759 adults in Cohort B. Treatment with efavirenz was more likely to suppress viral load in Cohort A (P = 0.005). Independent predictors of VF for Cohort B included male gender, advanced WHO stage at ART initiation and treatment with stavudine or zidovudine compared with tenofovir. DRMs were detected in 89% of 123 specimens with VF, including M184I/V, K103N/S, K65N/R, V106A/M and Y181C. CONCLUSIONS: VF in adults in KZN was <8% up to 3 years post-ART initiation but was associated with a high frequency of DRMs. These data identify key groups for intensified adherence counselling and highlight the need to optimize first-line regimens to maintain viral suppression.

Performance characteristics of finger-stick dried blood spots (DBS) on the determination of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment failure in a pediatric population in Mozambique.

Quantitative plasma viral load (VL) at 1000 copies /mL was recommended as the threshold to confirm antiretroviral therapy (ART) failure by the World Health Organization (WHO). Because of ongoing challenges of using plasma for VL testing in resource-limited settings (RLS), especially for children, this study collected 717 DBS and paired plasma samples from children receiving ART ≥1 year in Mozambique and compared the performance of DBS using Abbott's VL test with a paired plasma sample using Roche's VL test. At a cut-off of 1000 copies/mL, sensitivity of DBS using Abbott DBS VL test was 79.9%, better than 71.0% and 63.9% at 3000 and 5000 copies/mL, respectively. Specificities were 97.6%, 98.8%, 99.3% at 1000, 3000, and 5000 copies/mL, respectively. The Kappa value at 1000 copies/mL, 0.80 (95% CI: 0.73, 0.87), was higher than 0.73 (95% CI: 0.66, 0.80) and 0.66 (95% CI: 0.59, 0.73) at 3000, 5000 copies/mL, respectively, also indicating better agreement. The mean difference between the DBS and plasma VL tests with 95% limits of agreement by Bland-Altman was 0.311 (-0.908, 1.530). Among 73 children with plasma VL between 1000 to 5000 copies/mL, the DBS results were undetectable in 53 at the 1000 copies/mL threshold. While one DBS sample in the Abbott DBS VL test may be an alternative method to confirm ART failure at 1000 copies/mL threshold when a plasma sample is not an option for treatment monitoring, because of sensitivity concerns between 1,000 and 5,000 copies/ml, two DBS samples may be preferred accompanied by careful patient monitoring and repeat testing.

High Prevalence of Abacavir-associated L74V/I Mutations in Kenyan Children Failing Antiretroviral Therapy.

A survey of 461 HIV-infected Kenyan children receiving antiretroviral therapy found 143 (31%) failing virologically. Drug resistance mutations were found in 121; 37 had L74V/I mutations, with 95% receiving abacavir (ABC)-containing regimens. L74V/I was associated with current ABC usage (P = 0.0001). L74V/I may be more prevalent than previously realized in children failing ABC-containing regimens, even when time on treatment has been short. Ongoing rigorous pediatric drug resistance surveillance is needed.

Wide Variations in Compliance with Tuberculosis Screening Guidelines and Tuberculosis Incidence between Antiretroviral Therapy Facilities - Côte d'Ivoire.

BACKGROUND: In Côte d'Ivoire, tuberculosis (TB) is a common cause of death among HIV-infected antiretroviral therapy (ART) enrollees. Ivorian guidelines recommend screening for TB and initiation of TB treatment before ART initiation. Compliance with these guidelines can help reduce TB-related mortality during ART and possibly nosocomial TB transmission. METHODS AND FINDINGS: In a retrospective cohort study among 3,682 randomly selected adults (≥15 years old) starting ART during 2004-2007 at 34 randomly selected facilities, documentation of TB screening completion, prevalence of active TB at ART initiation, and incidence of TB during ART were evaluated. At ART initiation, median age was 36 years, 67% were female, and median CD4 count was 135 cells/µL. Among all 3,682 enrollees, 73 (2%) were on TB treatment at the time of referral to the ART facility. Among the 3,609 not on TB treatment, 1,263 (36%) were documented to receive some TB screening before ART initiation; 21% were screened for cough, 21% for weight loss, 18% for fever, 18% for TB contacts, and 12% for night sweats. Among the 1,263 screened, 111 (11%) were diagnosed with TB and started TB treatment before ART. No associations between patient characteristics and probability of being screened were noted. However, documentation of TB screening completion before ART varied widely by ART facility from 0-100%. TB incidence during ART was 3.0 per 100 person-years but varied widely by ART facility from 0/100 person-year to 13.1/100 person-years. CONCLUSIONS: Screening for TB before ART initiation was poorly documented. Facility-level variations in TB screening documentation suggest facility-level factors, such as investment in training programs, might determine documentation practices. Targeting under-performing ART facilities with improvement activities is needed. Variations among facilities in TB incidence warrant further research. These incidence variations could reflect differences between facilities in TB screening, diagnostic tests, documentation practices, or TB risk possibly related to infection control practices or local community TB incidence.

Pre-treatment drug resistance among patients initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Zimbabwe: 2008-2010.

BACKGROUND: Zimbabwe set up 12 sentinel sites to monitor HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) following the international standards for prevention of HIVDR from 2008 to 2010. METHODS: Participants were consecutively enrolled. Blood was collected and used for CD4 count, viral load (VL) and pre-treatment DR (PDR) tests besides routine baseline tests. We analyzed the characteristics of participants enrolled into the survey and estimated the point prevalence of PDR and its associated factors among ART initiators in a cross-sectional analysis using the baseline data collected from a prospective cohort in 12 purposefully selected sentinel sites. RESULTS: A total of 1728 participants (96 % response rate) were enrolled and 1610 had complete data. Of the 1610 there were more females (68.7 %) than males (31.3 %). The median CD4 count was 168 cells/mm(3) with males having lower values (P = 0.003). Ninety-six percent of participants had a VL ≥ 1000 copies/ml and the median VL was 128,000. Previous exposure to antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) was mainly through PMTCT (5 % of the participants). Overall, PDR mutations were detected in 6.3 % (95 % CI 5.2-7.7) of the 1480 successfully genotyped participants. However, the prevalence of PDR mutations was double for those with previous exposure (12.1 %) to ARVs compared with those without previous exposure (5.7 %, P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: The results show a moderate level of PDR prevalence among ART initiators. To maintain the efficacy of the current first-line regimens, there is need to strengthen all HIVDR prevention efforts and to conduct further studies to investigate optimal strategies that can prolong the efficacy of first-line ARV regimens in the country.

HIV and alcohol knowledge, self-perceived risk for HIV, and risky sexual behavior among young HIV-negative men identified as harmful or hazardous drinkers in Katutura, Namibia.

BACKGROUND: Namibia's HIV prevalence is 13.3%. Alcohol is associated with sexual risk-taking, leading to increased HIV risk. Baseline sexual behaviors, HIV and alcohol knowledge, and self-perceived HIV risk were examined among men reporting high-risk drinking in Katutura, Namibia. METHODS: HIV negative men, ≥ 18 years, were screened for harmful or hazardous levels of drinking and >1 recent sex partner prior to randomization into control or intervention arm. SAS 9.3 and R 3.01 were used for descriptive baseline cohort analyses. RESULTS: A total of 501 participants who met criteria were included in analysis (mean Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test [AUDIT] =12.4). HIV and alcohol knowledge were high with the majority (>85 and 89.8-98%, respectively) of respondents correctly answering assessment questions. Despite high knowledge levels, 66.7% of men felt they were at some or high risk of HIV acquisition. Among those respondents, 56.5% stated often wanting to have sex after drinking and 40.3% stated sex was better when drunk. Among respondents with non-steady partners [n = 188], 44.1% of last sexual encounters occurred while the participant was drunk and condoms were not used 32.5% of those times. Among persons who were not drunk condoms were not used 13.3% of those times. CONCLUSIONS: Sex with casual partners was high. Inconsistent condom use and alcohol use before sex were frequently reported. Increased emphasis on alcohol risk-reduction strategies, including drinking due to peer pressure and unsafe sexual behaviors, is needed.

Performance of an Early Infant Diagnostic Test, AmpliSens DNA-HIV-FRT, Using Dried Blood Spots Collected from Children Born to Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Mothers in Ukraine.

An accurate accessible test for early infant diagnosis (EID) is crucial for identifying HIV-infected infants and linking them to treatment. To improve EID services in Ukraine, dried blood spot (DBS) samples obtained from 237 HIV-exposed children (≤18 months of age) in six regions in Ukraine in 2012 to 2013 were tested with the AmpliSens DNA-HIV-FRT assay, the Roche COBAS AmpliPrep/COBAS TaqMan (CAP/CTM) HIV-1 Qual test, and the Abbott RealTime HIV-1 Qualitative assay. In comparison with the paired whole-blood results generated from AmpliSens testing at the oblast HIV reference laboratories in Ukraine, the sensitivity was 0.99 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.95 to 1.00) for the AmpliSens and Roche CAP/CTM Qual assays and 0.96 (95% CI, 0.90 to 0.98) for the Abbott Qualitative assay. The specificity was 1.00 (95% CI, 0.97 to 1.00) for the AmpliSens and Abbott Qualitative assays and 0.99 (95% CI, 0.96 to 1.00) for the Roche CAP/CTM Qual assay. McNemar analysis indicated that the proportions of positive results for the tests were not significantly different (P > 0.05). Cohen's kappa (0.97 to 0.99) indicated almost perfect agreement among the three tests. These results indicated that the AmpliSens DBS and whole-blood tests performed equally well and were comparable to the two commercially available EID tests. More importantly, the performance characteristics of the AmpliSens DBS test meets the World Health Organization EID test requirements; implementing AmpliSens DBS testing might improve EID services in resource-limited settings.

Implementation and Operational Research: Strengthening HIV Test Access and Treatment Uptake Study (Project STATUS): A Randomized Trial of HIV Testing and Counseling Interventions.

OBJECTIVE: To determine which of 3 HIV testing and counseling (HTC) models in outpatient departments (OPDs) increases HIV testing and entry of newly identified HIV-infected patients into care. DESIGN: Randomized trial of HTC interventions. METHODS: Thirty-six OPDs in South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda were randomly assigned to 3 different HTC models: (A) health care providers referred eligible patients (aged 18-49, not tested in the past year, not known HIV positive) to on-site voluntary counseling and testing for HTC offered and provided by voluntary counseling and testing counselors after clinical consultation; (B) health care providers offered and provided HTC to eligible patients during clinical consultation; and (C) nurse or lay counselors offered and provided HTC to eligible patients before clinical consultation. Data were collected from October 2011 to September 2012. We describe testing eligibility and acceptance, HIV prevalence, and referral and entry into care. Chi-square analyses were conducted to examine differences by model. RESULTS: Of 79,910 patients, 45% were age eligible and 16,099 (45%) age eligibles were tested. Ten percent tested HIV positive. Significant differences were found in percent tested by model. The proportion of age eligible patients tested by Project STATUS was highest for model C (54.1%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 42.4 to 65.9), followed by model A (41.7%, 95% CI: 30.7 to 52.8), and then model B (33.9%, 95% CI: 25.7 to 42.1). Of the 1596 newly identified HIV positive patients, 94% were referred to care (96.1% in model A, 94.7% in model B, and 94.9% in model C), and 58% entered on-site care (74.4% in model A, 54.8% in model B, and 55.6% in model C) with no significant differences in referrals or care entry by model. CONCLUSIONS: Model C resulted in the highest proportion of all age-eligible patients receiving a test. Although 94% of STATUS patients with a positive test result were referred to care, only 58% entered care. We found no differences in patients entering care by HTC model. Routine HTC in OPDs is acceptable to patients and effective for identifying HIV-infected persons, but additional efforts are needed to increase entry to care.

AUDIT, AUDIT-C, and AUDIT-3: drinking patterns and screening for harmful, hazardous and dependent drinking in Katutura, Namibia.

OBJECTIVES: To describe alcohol drinking patterns among participants in Katutura, Namibia, and to evaluate brief versions of the AUDIT against the full AUDIT to determine their effectiveness in detecting harmful drinking. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in four constituencies and 639 participants, 18 years or older, completed a sociodemographic survey and the AUDIT. The effectiveness of the AUDIT-C (first three questions) and the AUDIT-3 (third question) was compared to the full AUDIT. RESULTS: Approximately 40% were identified as harmful, hazardous or likely dependent drinkers, with men having a higher likelihood than women (57.2% vs. 31.0%, p<.0001). Approximately 32% reported making and/or selling alcohol from home. The AUDIT-C performed best at a cutoff ≥ 3, better in men (sensitivity: 99.3%, specificity: 77.8%) than women (sensitivity: 91.7%, specificity: 77.4%). The AUDIT-3 performed poorly (maximum sensitivity: < 90%, maximum specificity: <51%). According to AUROC, the AUDIT-C performed better than the AUDIT-3. CONCLUSIONS: A large proportion of participants met criteria for alcohol misuse, indicating a need for screening and referral for further evaluation and intervention. The AUDIT-C was almost as effective as the full AUDIT and may be easier to implement in clinical settings as a routine screening tool in resource-limited settings because of its brevity.

Retention and risk factors for loss to follow-up of female and male sex workers on antiretroviral treatment in Ivory Coast: a retrospective cohort analysis.

BACKGROUND: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV-infected sex workers is an important HIV prevention strategy. However, sex workers may have additional challenges for retention in ART care. The objectives of this study were to assess retention of sex workers on ART in a routine setting in Ivory Coast and identify risk factors for loss to follow-up (LTFU). METHODS: The design was a retrospective cohort study. An analysis of clinic files was conducted in 2 sites providing ART services to sex workers in Ivory Coast. Demographic, behavior, and clinical data of female and male sex workers on ART were abstracted onto a standardized anonymous data collection form. Data collection took place between May 11 and 28, 2010. RESULTS: A total of 376 female and 38 male sex workers were included in the analysis. The retention probability was 75% at 6 months, 68% at 12 months, 55% at 24 months, and 47% at 36 months. Attrition was mainly because of LTFU. Factors significantly associated with LTFU in bivariate analysis were lower schooling level, later calendar year of starting ART, and not receiving initial adherence counseling. Later year of starting ART and not receiving adherence counseling at ART initiation remained significantly associated with LTFU in a multivariate Cox regression model. CONCLUSIONS: To improve the retention of sex workers on ART, there is a need for more in-depth investigation of the role of pre-ART counseling and the increasing rates of LTFU with each calendar year.

Temporal trends in mortality and loss to follow-up among children enrolled in Côte d'Ivoire's national antiretroviral therapy program.

BACKGROUND: During 2004-2008, >2000 children (<15 years old) initiated antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Côte d'Ivoire. Nationally representative outcomes, temporal trends in outcomes during 2004-2008 and site-level outcome determinants have not been investigated. METHODS: Incidence rates of death, loss to follow-up (LTFU) and attrition (death or LTFU) were evaluated in a nationally representative, retrospective cohort study among 2,110 children, who initiated ART at 29 facilities in Côte d'Ivoire during 2004-2008. RESULTS: At ART initiation, 54% were male, 1% was HIV-2-infected and median age was 5.1 years. Median CD4% was 11%, and 61% had weight-for-age Z-score (WAZ) ≤-2. Vaccination completion was documented for 9% of children. Eleven of 29 facilities had an integrated nutrition program. Over 4585 person-years of ART, 237 children died and 427 became LTFU. Twelve-month attrition was 22% overall, but increased from 4% to 34% during 2004-2008, due to increases in 12-month mortality (from 3-11%) and 12-month LTFU (from 2% to 23%). In adjusted analysis, compared with enrollees in 2004, enrollees in 2008 had nearly 4-fold higher mortality and 8-fold higher LTFU. World Health Organization stage III/IV, CD4% <10%, WAZ ≤ 2 and hemoglobin <8 g/dL, were predictive of mortality. Incomplete vaccination was predictive of mortality and LTFU. Facilities with nutrition programs had lower LTFU and mortality rates. Clinics reporting nurse dissatisfaction with working conditions had higher LTFU rates. CONCLUSION: Investigation of causes of increasing mortality and LTFU is needed. Ensuring earlier ART initiation, vaccination completion, scale-up of site-level nutrition programs and nurse work-environment satisfaction, could improve pediatric ART program outcomes.

Temporal trends in treatment outcomes for HIV-1 and HIV-2-infected adults enrolled in Côte d'Ivoire's national antiretroviral therapy program.

BACKGROUND: In Côte d'Ivoire during 2004-2007, numbers of ART enrollees increased from <5,000 to 36,943. Trends in nationally representative ART program outcomes have not yet been reported. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We conducted a retrospective chart review to assess trends in patient characteristics and attrition [death or loss to follow-up (LTFU)] over time, among a nationally representative sample of 3,682 adults (≥15 years) initiating ART during 2004-2007 at 34 health facilities. Among ART enrollees during 2004-2007, median age was 36, the proportion female was 67%, the proportion HIV-2-infected or dually HIV-1&2 reactive was 5%, and median baseline CD4+ T-cell (CD4) count was 135 cells/µL. Comparing cohorts initiating ART in 2004 with cohorts initiating ART in 2007, median baseline weight declined from 55 kg to 52 kg (p = 0.008) and the proportion weighing <45 kg increased from 17% to 22% (p = 0.014). During 2004-2007, pharmacy-based estimates of the percentage of new ART enrollees ≥95% adherent to ART declined from 74% to 60% (p = 0.026), and twelve-month retention declined from 86% to 69%, due to increases in 12-month mortality from 2%-4% and LTFU from 12%-28%. In univariate analysis, year of ART initiation was associated with increasing rates of both LTFU and mortality. Controlling for baseline CD4, weight, adherence, and other risk factors, year of ART initiation was still strongly associated with LTFU but not mortality. In multivariate analysis, weight <45 kg and adherence <95% remained strong predictors of LTFU and mortality. CONCLUSIONS: During 2004-2007, increasing prevalence among ART enrollees of measured mortality risk factors, including weight <45 kg and ART adherence <95%, might explain increases in mortality over time. However, the association between later calendar year and increasing LTFU is not explained by risk factors evaluated in this analysis. Undocumented transfers, political instability, and patient dissatisfaction with crowded facilities might explain increasing LTFU.

Field evaluation of Abbott Real Time HIV-1 Qualitative test for early infant diagnosis using dried blood spots samples in comparison to Roche COBAS Ampliprep/COBAS TaqMan HIV-1 Qual test in Kenya.

Timely diagnosis and treatment of infants infected with HIV are critical for reducing infant mortality. High-throughput automated diagnostic tests like Roche COBAS AmpliPrep/COBAS TaqMan HIV-1 Qual Test (Roche CAPCTM Qual) and the Abbott Real Time HIV-1 Qualitative (Abbott Qualitative) can be used to rapidly expand early infant diagnosis testing services. In this study, the performance characteristics of the Abbott Qualitative were evaluated using two hundred dried blood spots (DBS) samples (100 HIV-1 positive and 100 HIV-1 negative) collected from infants attending the antenatal facilities in Kisumu, Kenya. The Abbott Qualitative results were compared to the diagnostic testing completed using the Roche CAPCTM Qual in Kenya. The sensitivity and specificity of the Abbott Qualitative were 99.0% (95% CI: 95.0-100.0) and 100.0% (95% CI: 96.0-100.0), respectively, and the overall reproducibility was 98.0% (95% CI: 86.0-100.0). The limits of detection for the Abbott Qualitative and Roche CAPCTM Qual were 56.5 and 6.9copies/mL at 95% CIs (p=0.005), respectively. The study findings demonstrate that the Abbott Qualitative test is a practical option for timely diagnosis of HIV in infants.

Kenya's emergency-hire nursing programme: a pilot evaluation of health service delivery in two districts.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility of utilizing a small-scale, low-cost, pilot evaluation in assessing the short-term impact of Kenya's emergency-hire nursing programme (EHP) on the delivery of health services (outpatient visits and maternal-child health indicators) in two underserved health districts with high HIV/AIDS prevalence. METHODS: Six primary outcomes were assessed through the collection of data from facility-level health management forms-total general outpatient visits, vaginal deliveries, caesarean sections, antenatal care (ANC) attendance, ANC clients tested for HIV, and deliveries to HIV-positive women. Data on outcome measures were assessed both pre-and post-emergency-hire nurse placement. Informal discussions were also conducted to obtain supporting qualitative data. FINDINGS: The majority of EHP nurses were placed in Suba (15.5%) and Siaya (13%) districts. At the time of the intervention, we describe an increase in total general outpatient visits, vaginal deliveries and caesarean sections within both districts. Similar significant increases were seen with ANC attendance and deliveries to HIV-positive women. Despite increases in the quantity of health services immediately following nurse placement, these levels were often not sustained. We identify several factors that challenge the long-term sustainability of these staffing enhancements. CONCLUSIONS: There are multiple factors beyond increasing the supply of nurses that affect the delivery of health services. We believe this pilot evaluation sets the foundation for future, larger and more comprehensive studies further elaborating on the interface between interventions to alleviate nursing shortages and promote enhanced health service delivery. We also stress the importance of strong national and local relationships in conducting future studies.

Evaluation of a dried blood and plasma collection device, SampleTanker(®), for HIV type 1 drug resistance genotyping in patients receiving antiretroviral therapy.

Whatman 903 filter paper is the only filter paper that has been used for HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) genotyping in resource-limited settings. In this study, we evaluated another dried blood specimen collection device, termed SampleTanker(®) (ST), for HIVDR genotyping. Blood specimens from 123 antiretroviral therapy (ART)-experienced patients were used to prepare ST whole blood and ST plasma specimens; they were then stored at ambient temperature for 2 or 4 weeks. The remaining plasma specimens were stored at -80°C and used as frozen plasma controls. Frozen plasma viral load (VL) was determined using the Roche Amplicor HIV-1 Monitor test, v.1.5 and 50 specimens with VL ≥3.00 log10 copies/ml were genotyped using the broadly sensitive genotyping assay. The medium VL for the 50 frozen plasma specimens with VL ≥3.00 log10 was 3.58 log10 copies/ml (IQR: 3.32-4.11) and 96.0% (48/50) of them were genotyped. Comparing to frozen plasma specimens, significantly lower genotyping rates were obtained from ST whole blood (48.98% and 42.85%) and ST plasma specimens (36.0% and 36.0%) stored at ambient temperature for 2 and 4 weeks, respectively (p<0.001). Nucleotide sequence identity and resistance profile analyses between the matched frozen plasma and ST whole blood or ST plasma specimens revealed high nucleotide sequence identities and concordant resistance profiles (98.1% and 99.0%, and 96.6% and 98.9%, respectively). Our results indicate that with the current design, the ST may not be the ideal dried blood specimen collection device for HIVDR monitoring for ART patients in resource-limited settings.

Comparison of HIV-1 resistance profiles in plasma RNA versus PBMC DNA in heavily treated patients in Honduras, a resource-limited country.

The World Health Organization currently does not recommend the use of dried blood spot specimens for drug resistance testing in patients undergoing antiretroviral therapy (ART). Therefore, HIV-1 resistance testing using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) may be of value in resource-limited settings. We compared genotypic resistance profiles in plasma and PBMCs from patients failing ART in two cities of Honduras (Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula), a resource-limited country. One hundred patients failing ART were randomly selected from a longitudinal patient monitoring cohort. Plasma and PBMC samples without patient identifier were used for genotypic resistance testing. Sequence data were analyzed, resistance profiles were determined and compared using Stanford HIV Drug Resistance Database algorithm. Specimens with concordant resistance profiles between the two compartments were 88% (95% CI: 80.3% - 94.5 %). Nine specimens (12%, 95% CI: 6.5% - 21.3%) had discordant resistance profiles of clinical significance. Logistic regression analyses indicated that patients on triple therapy were 17.24 times more likely to have concordant drug resistance profile than those on non-triple therapies (OR=17.24, 95% CI: 3.48, 83.33), while patients with increasing number of regimens and years on ART have a decreased rate of concordance (OR = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.32, 1.09 and OR = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.43, 0.88), respectively, than those with less number of regimens and years on ART. Our results show high level of concordance between plasma and PBMC resistance profiles, indicating the possibility of using PBMCs for drug resistance testing in resources-limited settings.

Recovery of HIV service provision post-earthquake.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the level of functionality of President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)-supported HIV clinical services following the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti in January 2010. DESIGN: Available program-monitoring data from sites providing voluntary counseling and testing for HIV (VCT), antenatal care (ANC) and prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services, and antiretroviral treatment (ART) were described, comparing pre-earthquake and post-earthquake periods during October 2008 to May 2010. METHODS: Pre-earthquake HIV service baselines for VCT, PMTCT, and ART enrollment were defined as monthly mean total number of patients served over 15 months pre-earthquake. ART baseline was defined as total current patients by December 2009. Sites were categorized as high-earthquake or low-earthquake intensity based on location and instrumental shake intensity data. RESULTS: Pre-earthquake mean monthly baselines were 41 087 (VCT), 11 909 (HIV testing at ANC sites), 648 (ART enrollment), and 296 (PMTCT enrollment); baseline total current patients on ART was 24 863. Service provision in January and May 2010, reported as percentage of baseline, was 43 and 78.7% (VCT), 50.8 and 88.7% (HIV testing at ANC), 46 and 81% (PMTCT), and 41 and 82.7% (ART enrollment), respectively. Current patients on ART decreased to 97% of baseline in April, rising to 103.9% by May; the initial decline was restricted to high-earthquake intensity areas. CONCLUSION: Following the Haiti earthquake, there was a transient, marked decline in VCT and new ART patient enrollment, whereas follow-up of established ART patients remained impressively high. HIV treatment continuity should be reinforced in disaster preparedness and response strategies in HIV epidemic settings.