Outcomes of an HIV cohort after a decade of comprehensive care at Newlands Clinic in Harare, Zimbabwe: TENART cohort

• Published in: PloS one 2017-10, Vol.12 (10), p.e0186726-e0186726
• Main Authors: Shamu, Tinei, Chimbetete, Cleophas, Shawarira-Bote, Sandra, Mudzviti, Tinashe, Luthy, Ruedi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; Adolescent; Adult; AIDS; Ambulatory Care Facilities; Anti-HIV Agents - therapeutic use; Antiretroviral agents; Antiretroviral drugs; Antiretroviral therapy; Biology and Life Sciences; Cohort Studies; Collaboration; Comprehensive Health Care; Data processing; Drug therapy; Electronic medical records; Female; Highly active antiretroviral therapy; HIV; HIV infections; HIV Infections - drug therapy; HIV Infections - immunology; HIV Infections - virology; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Lost to Follow-Up; Male; Medical electronics; Medicine and Health Sciences; Mortality; Patient outcomes; Patients; People and Places; Peripheral neuropathy; Research and Analysis Methods; Stavudine; Tuberculosis; Young Adult; Zimbabwe
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186726

Data on long-term outcomes of patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) in sub-Saharan Africa are few. We describe outcomes of patients commenced on ART at Newlands Clinic between 2004 and 2006 after ≥10 years of comprehensive care including, psychosocial, adherence and food support. In this retrospective cohort study, patient data from an electronic medical record collected during routine care were analysed. We describe baseline characteristics, virological and clinical outcomes, attrition rates, and treatment adverse effects until November 2016. We defined virological suppression as viral load 1000 copies/ml after ≥6 months of ART. We analysed data for 605 patients (67% female) who commenced ART, and were followed-up for 5819 person-years (median: 10.7 years, IQR: 10.1-11.4). Median age at ART initiation was 34 years (IQR: 17-42). Pre-ART, 129 (21.3%) patients had history of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). In care, 66 (11%) developed PTB, and 24 (4%) developed extrapulmonary tuberculosis. 385 (63.6%) patients experienced ≥1 adverse event, the most frequent being stavudine-induced peripheral neuropathy (n = 252, 41.7%). At database closure on 14 November 2016, 474 (78.3%) patients were still in care, 428 (90.3%) being virologically suppressed, and 21 (4.4%) failing. While 483 (79.8%) remained on first line, 122 (20.2%) were switched to second line ART. Fifty-nine patients (9.8%) were transferred to other ART facilities, 45 (7.4%) were lost to follow-up, 25 (4.1%) died, and two stopped ART. Comprehensive HIV care can result in low mortality, high retention in care and virologic suppression rates in resource limited settings.