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      Virological outcomes of antiretroviral therapy in Zomba central prison, Malawi; a cross-sectional study

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          Abstract

          Introduction: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) outcomes that include viral suppression rates are rarely reported among African prison populations. Prisoners deal with specific challenges concerning adherence to ART. We aimed to describe virological outcomes of ART in a large prison in Malawi.

          Methods: A cross-sectional study of ART outcomes was conducted at the Zomba Central Prison HIV clinic, Malawi, following the introduction of routine viral load monitoring. All prisoners on ART for at least 6 months were eligible for a viral load test. Patients with ≥1,000 copies/ml received adherence support for 3 months, after which a second VL sample was taken. Patients with ≥5,000 copies/ml on the second sample had virological failure and started 2nd line ART. We describe demographics and patient characteristics and report prevalence of potential- and documented virological failure. In the potential virological failure rate, those who could not be sampled after 3 months adherence support are included as virological failures. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine factors associated with potential ART failure.

          Results and discussion: Viral load testing was started at the end of 2014, when 1054 patients had ever registered on ART. Of those, 501 (47.5%) had transferred out to another clinic, 96 (9.1%) had died, 11 defaulted (1.0%) and 3 (0.3%) stopped ART. Of 443 (42.0%) remaining alive in care, an estimated 322 prisoners were on ART >6 months, of whom 262 (81.4%) were sampled. Their median age was 35 years (IQR 31–40) and 257 (98.1%) were male. Self-reported adherence was good in 258 (98.5%). The rate of potential ART failure was 8.0%, documented ART failure was 4.6% and documented HIV suppression 95.0%. No patient characteristics were independently associated with potential ART failure, possibly due to low numbers with this outcome.

          Conclusions: Good virological suppression rates can be achieved among Malawian prisoners on ART, under challenging circumstances.

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          Most cited references12

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          Optimization of human immunodeficiency virus treatment during incarceration: viral suppression at the prison gate.

          Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) management in correctional settings is logistically feasible, but HIV-related outcomes before release have not been recently systematically examined. To evaluate HIV treatment outcomes throughout incarceration, including jail and prison. Retrospective cohort study of longitudinally linked demographic, pharmacy, and laboratory data on 882 prisoners within the Connecticut Department of Correction (2005-2012) with confirmed HIV infection, who were continually incarcerated 90 days or more, had at least 2 HIV-1 RNA and CD4 lymphocyte measurements, and were prescribed antiretroviral therapy. Three electronic databases (correctional, laboratory, and pharmacy) were integrated to assess HIV viral suppression (HIV-1 RNA levels, <400 copies/mL) on intake and release. Secondary outcomes were mean change in log-transformed HIV-1 RNA levels and mean change in CD4 lymphocyte count during incarceration. Demographic characteristics, prescribed pharmacotherapies, receipt of directly observed therapy, and duration of incarceration were analyzed as possible explanatory variables for HIV viral suppression in logistic regression models. Among 882 HIV-infected prisoners with 1185 incarceration periods, mean HIV-1 RNA level decreased by 1.1 log10 and CD4 lymphocyte count increased by 98 cells/µL over time, with a higher proportion achieving viral suppression by release compared with entry (70.0% vs 29.8%; P < .001); 36.9% of antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens were changed during incarceration. After adjusting for baseline HIV-1 RNA level, prerelease viral suppression correlated with female sex (adjusted odds ratio, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.26-2.59) and psychiatric disorder severity below the sample median (adjusted odds ratio, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.12-1.99), but not race/ethnicity, incarceration duration, ART regimen or dosing strategy, or directly observed therapy. Though just one-third of HIV-infected prisoners receiving ART entered correctional facilities with viral suppression, HIV treatment was optimized during incarceration, resulting in the majority achieving viral suppression by release. Treatment for HIV within prison is facilitated by a highly structured environment and, when combined with simple well-tolerated ART regimens, can result in viral suppression during incarceration. In the absence of important and effective community-based resources, incarceration can be an opportunity of last resort to initiate continuous ART for individual health and, following the "treatment as prevention" paradigm, potentially reduce the likelihood of HIV transmission to others after release if continuity of HIV care is sustained.
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            Antiretroviral Outcomes in South African Prisoners: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis

            Background and Methods Little is known about antiretroviral therapy (ART) outcomes in prisoners in Africa. We conducted a retrospective review of outcomes of a large cohort of prisoners referred to a public sector, urban HIV clinic. The review included baseline characteristics, sequential CD4 cell counts and viral load results, complications and co-morbidities, mortality and loss to follow-up up to 96 weeks on ART. Findings 148 inmates (133 male) initiated on ART were included in the study. By week 96 on ART, 73% of all inmates enrolled in the study and 92% of those still accessing care had an undetectable viral load (<400copies/ml). The median CD4 cell count increased from 122 cells/mm3 at baseline to 356 cells/mm3 by 96 weeks. By study end, 96 (65%) inmates had ever received tuberculosis (TB) therapy with 63 (43%) receiving therapy during the study: 28% had a history of TB prior to ART initiation, 33% were on TB therapy at ART initiation and 22% developed TB whilst on ART. Nine (6%) inmates died, 7 in the second year on ART. Loss to follow-up (LTF) was common: 14 (9%) patients were LTF whilst still incarcerated, 11 (7%) were LTF post-release and 9 (6%) whose movements could not be traced. 16 (11%) inmates had inter-correctional facility transfers and 34 (23%) were released of whom only 23 (68%) returned to the ART clinic for ongoing follow-up. Conclusions Inmates responded well to ART, despite a high frequency of TB/HIV co-infection. Attention should be directed towards ensuring eligible prisoners access ART programs promptly and that inter-facility transfers and release procedures facilitate continuity of care. Institutional TB control measures should remain a priority.
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              Adherence to antiretroviral therapy among HIV-infected prisoners: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

              Data on antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence among prison inmates are limited and not previously synthesized in a systematic manner. The objective of this study was to provide accurate and up-to-date ART adherence estimates among prison inmates. We searched electronic databases for all studies reporting adherence as a primary or secondary outcome among prison inmates. A random-effects model was used to pool adherence rates; sensitivity, heterogeneity and publication bias were assessed. Eleven studies involving 2895 HIV-infected prison inmates were included. The studies were carried out between 1992 and 2011 and reported between 1998 and 2013. A pooled analysis of all studies indicated a pooled estimate of 54.6% (95% confidence interval 48.1-60.9%) of prison inmates had adequate (≥95%) ART adherence. The adherence estimates were significantly higher among cross-studies and studies that used self-reported measures. In summary, our findings indicate that optimal adherence remains a challenge among prison inmates. It is crucial to monitor ART adherence and develop appropriate interventions to improve adherence among these population.
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                Author and article information

                Journal
                J Int AIDS Soc
                J Int AIDS Soc
                ZIAS
                zias20
                Journal of the International AIDS Society
                Taylor & Francis
                1758-2652
                2017
                2 August 2017
                : 20
                : 1
                : 21623
                Affiliations
                [ a ] Dignitas International , Zomba, Malawi
                [ b ] Zomba District Health Office, Malawi Ministry of Health , Zomba, Malawi
                [ c ] Partners in Hope , Lilongwe, Malawi
                [ d ] David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California , Los Angeles, USA
                [ e ] Malawi Prison Service , Lilongwe, Malawi
                [ f ] Department of Medicine, University of Malawi College of Medicine , Blantyre, Malawi
                Author notes
                [ § ]Corresponding author: J. J. van Oosterhout, Dignitas International , c/o PO Box 1071, Zomba, Malawi. Tel: +265-888-117-736 (Malawi). Fax: +265-1-527-558. ( j.vanoosterhout@ 123456dignitasinternational.org )
                Article
                1355616
                10.7448/IAS.20.1.21623
                5577730
                28782332
                61c40cf1-8a7c-4ef4-835c-67f7417c54d4
                © 2017 Mpawa H et al; licensee International AIDS Society.

                This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

                History
                : 26 October 2016
                : 12 July 2017
                Page count
                Figures: 1, Tables: 1, References: 17, Pages: 6
                Funding
                Funded by: USAID 10.13039/100000200
                Dignitas International's support of the clinic at Zomba Central Hospital is funded by USAID.
                Categories
                Other
                Short Report

                Infectious disease & Microbiology
                hiv,prisoners,antiretroviral therapy,malawi,adherence,viral load
                Infectious disease & Microbiology
                hiv, prisoners, antiretroviral therapy, malawi, adherence, viral load

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