RATE OF ADHERENCE TO AND FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH METHADONE MAINTENANCE TREATMENT PROGRAM (MMTP) COMPLIANCE AMONG INJECTING DRUG USE PATIENTS IN NEPAL.

We conducted a survey to determine the rate of adherence to and factors associated with compliance with a methadone maintenance treatment program (MMTP) among injecting drug users in Nepal. We conducted face-to-face structured interviews with 165 methadone treatment patients aged 20-54 years during 5-20 April 2015. Data analysis included percentages, means, standard deviations, chi-square tests and multiple logistic regression analysis. Seventy-two point one percent of respondents had good adherence to a MMTP. Multiple logistic regression with 81.8% prediction showed respondents without a previous history of relapse were 2.7 times more likely to adhere to the MMTP than those with a history of relapse [Adjusted OR = 2.772; 95% Confidence interval (CI): 1.163-6.605]. Respondents with a good knowledge of the MMTP 9.4 times more likely to be adherent to the MMTP than those with a poor to fair knowledge of the MMTP (Adjusted OR = 9.464; 95% CI: 3.873-23.126). The likelihood of MMTP adherence was 4.5 times more likely when methadone treatment services were available than those where the availability of methadone treatment services were low to moderate (Adjusted OR = 4.553; 95% CI: 1.883-11.008). Knowledge and availability of MMTP need to be improved in the study area in Nepal.

Survival time of HIV-infected patients with cryptococcal meningitis.

OBJECTIVE: To study survival time and risk factors of mortality among HIV-infected patients who had cryptococcal meningitis. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Patients' medical records of those who had HIV-infection with newly diagnosed cryptoccocal meningitis between January 2002 and December 2004 were reviewed. Each patient was classified into one of two groups, according to their anti-retroviral status (ART). RESULTS: Five hundred and forty nine patients enrolled in the present study: 281 (51.2%) in the ART+ group and 268 (48.8%) in the ART-group. The mean age was 33.4 +/- 6.9 years old in the ART + group and 33.6 +/- 7.0 years old in the ART-group. There were more male in both groups: 207 males and 74 females in the ART+ group, and 195 males and 73 females in the ART-group. Baseline CD4 cell count of both groups was 20 (6-74) cells/mL and 24 (9-72) cells/ml. About 30% of both groups of patients experienced major opportunistic infection before cryptococcal meningitis. All patients were treated by standard amphotericin B for a 2-week duration followed by fluconazole for an additional 8 weeks. There were no differences of baseline characteristics between the two groups (p > 0.05). The survival rates at 12, 24, and 36 months were 92.8%, 87.4%, and 85.4% in the ART+ group and 55.3%, 42.2%, and 36.8% in the ART- group, respectively (p < 0.01). The median survival time in the ART- group was 15 months. From the Cox regression model, the hazard ratio for "not received ART" was 4.87 (95%CI = 2.48-9.44, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated the substantial increasing of survival time of HIV-infected patients with cryptococcal meningitis by initiated ART even in a resource limited setting (no flucytosine, local combined antiretroviral drugs with NVP based regimens).