[Changes in the profile of HIV-positive patients. What has happened in the last 5 years?]. / Cambios en el perfil de los pacientes VIH positivos. Qué ha pasado en los últimos cinco años?

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate possible changes in the social, cultural and economical profile of our HIV infected patients appearing during the last five years and their potential impact on incidence, prevention, and follow-up of HIV infection. METHODS: We conduce a retrospective analysis of demographic, sociocultural, clinical and therapeutic characteristics of two groups of HIV infected patients reaching for the first time a level of 300 CD4 or less either in 1992 or in 1997. RESULTS: 55 patients with a mean age of 33 years (68% male 32% female) were studied. No differences were found in sexual behavior, HIV status of sexual partner, cultural level, risk practice, VHB or YHC seroprevalence. Attempts al drug quitting in 1992 were made individually and through institutional programs in 1997. Significant differences were found in the number of visits to the outpatient clinic the previous 36 months, and in de number of drugs (1.5 versus 3.5 P < 0.0001). Antirretroviral drugs were use in 62% of our 1992 patients and in 86% of the 1997 group (p < -0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The sociocultural and demographic profile has not changed in our environment in the last five years. However patients were identified later and followed less regularly at our clinic five years ago. Institutional methadone programs are the method or choice in our current patients for stopping illicit drug use. Finally treatment intensity has dramatically increased in our patients parallel to the growing therapeutical arsenal in this field.