[Late AIDS diagnosis in patients hospitalized in Clinic of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology PAM in years 2003-2007].

AIM OF THE STUDY: Assessment of the phenomenon of the late HIV diagnosis, as defined by the disease diagnosis alongside with the AIDS defining illness (late HIV testing).
METHODS: Retrospective epidemiological and clinical data analysis of patients with confirmed HIV infection, treated in the Chair and Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin from 2003 to 2007 in comparison to data from 1989-2002.
RESULTS: Data of 275 patients aged 1-71 years (mean 35+/-10) who attended the clinic for the first time in period 2003-2007 were collected. Individuals of male gender were prevailing in the analyzed group (78%), the percentage of women have been changing over the years with 32% in 2003, through 9% in 2005 to 30% in 2007. More than half of the patients presented clinical symptoms of immune deficiency: without AIDS--36% and with AIDS--22%. Lymphocyte T CD4+ count < 200 cells/microl among 118 of 275 new patients (43%) was noted. In the period 2003-2007, 59% of new patients were started on cART treatment. Late AIDS diagnosis was confirmed among 61% patients, with considerably higher frequency among men--84%. Late testers were three years older if compared to the whole of the newly diagnosed patients. The most common AIDS defining illness was the pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis, diagnosed in 13/51(25%) patients.
CONCLUSIONS: In most of cases HIV-infected patients are referred to the infectious diseases specialist when the clinical symptoms of immune deficiency occur, often being deeply immunocompromised. It is truly terrifying, that this situation has not truly changed since 1989. This notion creates the field for discussion on the universality and accessibility of HIV screening among Poles, in order to introduce a more common diagnostics.