Predictors of mortality among human immunodeficiency virus infected patients' records in Gondar University hospital, Ethiopia

Abstract

Purpose of the study - Identify predictors of mortality and develop a related care plan for patients who are on antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Gondar, Ethiopia. Design - A quantitative, retrospective cohort study was conducted analysing medical records of HIV patients who presented to Gondar University Hospital (GUH), Gondar, and started ART between 1 January 2007 and 30 June 2010. Results - In defining the predictors of mortality, the findings in bivariate analysis revealed: female sex, CD4 cell count ≤ 50/μl, CD4 cell count 51-199/μl, a haemoglobin concentration ≤8g/dl, a history of oral candidiasis, tuberculosis and Cryptococcus meningitis were all statistically significant. A female sex, CD4 cell count ≤ 50/μl and CD4 cell count 51-199/μl maintain their significance level in the multivariate analysis. Conclusions - The study therefore recommends that clinicians and case managers be vigilant of these predictors of mortality while managing HIV patients who are on ART. Key Concepts- ART, AIDS, HIV, predictors of mortality