Prevalence and Factors Associated with Virologic Failure among People Living with HIV (PLHIV) Monitored in a Decentralized Health Care Facility

Introduction: In Senegal, the decentralization of Health Care Centers has contributed significantly to the intensification of antiretroviral treatment. However, Care providers are still facing the treatment optimizing challenge. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of virologic failures of PLHIV monitored in a decentralized Health care center and to determine associated factors. Patients and Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive and analytical study of PLHIV, aged 18 years and over, on first-line treatment, monitored onsite from February 1st to December 31st, 2018. A data collection form was completed from medical records (clinical, immuno-virologic and evolutionary). Any VL > 1000 cp/ml after 6 months of antiretroviral therapy (ART) was considered as virologic failure. Data were captured and analysed using the EPI INFO 2002software. Chi-square test and the Fisher test were used to compare the proportions;a value of p ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. Results: 331 patients were treated with HIV-1 profile in 89% of cases. A proportion of 55% was married and 97% came from rural areas. 80% were either not or poorly educated. The median of age was 44 ± 11 years with a F/M ratio of 3.4. At baseline, 56% were symptomatic at stage 3 or 4 of WHO. They had severe immunosuppression with a median CD4 count of 217 ± 187 cells/mm3, the viral load was detectable in half of the patients with a median VL of 97,000 cp/ml ± 70,569. The antiretroviral regimen combined 2 NRTIs with 1 NNRTI in 88% of cases. The median of follow-up was estimated at 60 ± 43 months. The prevalence of virologic failure was 19%. This prevalence was associated with age less than 25 years (p = 0.04), late diagnosis (CD4 at baseline less than 200 cel/mm3 (p = 0.002), stage 3 or 4 WHO (p = 0.04) High viral load greater than 10,000 (p = 0.04) at baseline. Conclusion: These results suggest making the new therapeutic classes accessible for first-line treatment.

Epidemiological, Clinical, Therapeutic and evolutionary Aspects of Children Living with HIV in Guédiawaye, Senegal

Introduction: HIV infection in children is a major public health problem. The objective of this study carried out in the paediatric department of the Centre Hospitalier Roi Baudouin de Guédiawaye, was to evaluate the epidemiological, clinical, therapeutic and evolutionary aspects of a cohort of children with HIV over a 15-year period and to determine the factors associated with discontinuation of treatment and transition to second-line treatment. Patients and Methods: This was a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study from August 2004 to December 2019 at the Centre Hospitalier Roi Baudouin de Guédiawaye. Through this study, age at diagnosis, current age, gender, orphan status, therapeutic aspects, status announcement and evolution were evaluated. A total of 129 patient records were studied over a 15-year period (2004-2019). HIV-positive children with profile I represented 93.8% and there was a male predominance with a sex ratio of 1.43. The current mean age of the children was 12.2 ± 4.5 and the median was 14 years. Fatherless and motherless children represented 24.0% and 20.2%, respectively, while both fatherless and motherless children represented 11.6%. The mean age at the start of ARV treatment was 7.6 ± 4.3 years and the median was 7.5 years. The mean age at the start of second-line treatment was 13.7 years with a standard deviation of 2.6 while the median was 13 years. AZT + 3TC + NVP was the most commonly used combination (29.5%) followed by TDF + FTC + NVP (26.2%). The mean age at treatment discontinuation was 13.3 ± 4.3 years while the median was 15 years. More than half of the children (57.0%) (N = 69) were aware of their status. Factors associated with discontinuation were gender (p value = 0.025 and OR = 3.2), orphan status (p value = 0.027 and OR = 3.0) and follow-up time greater than 10 years (p value = 0.013 and OR = 5.6). The mortality rate was 3.9%. Factors associated with transition to second-line treatment were year of inclusion (p value = 0.001 and OR = 15.6), age group (p value = 0.001 and OR = 19.2), orphan status (p value = 0.040 and OR = 2.6), treatment regimen (p value = 0.019 and OR = 5.7), duration of ARV treatment (p value < 0.001 and OR = 38.0) and announcement (p value = 0.002 and OR = 4.7). Conclusion The cohort of HIV-infected children followed up in Guédiawaye remains dominated by adolescents. Orphan status, announcement of status and duration of follow-up are associated with transition to second-line treatment and treatment discontinuation.