scholarly journals Incidence and predictors of loss to follow-up among HIV-positive adults in northwest Ethiopia: a retrospective cohort study

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Molla Yigzaw Birhanu ◽  
Cheru Tesema Leshargie ◽  
Animut Alebel ◽  
Fasil Wagnew ◽  
Melkamu Siferih ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Despite the rapid expansion of antiretroviral therapy services, ‘loss to follow-up’ is a significant public health concern globally. Loss to follow-up of individuals from ART has a countless negative impact on the treatment outcomes. There is, however, limited information about the incidence and predictors of loss to follow-up in our study area. Thus, this study aimed to determine the incidence rate and predictors of loss to follow-up among adult HIV patients on ART. Methods A retrospective cohort study was undertaken using 484 HIV patients between January 30, 2008, and January 26, 2018, at Debre Markos Referral Hospital. All eligible HIV patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were included in this study. Data were entered into Epi-data Version 4.2 and analyzed using STATATM Version 14.0 software. The Nelson-Aalen cumulative hazard estimator was used to estimate the hazard rate of loss to follow-up, and the log-rank test was used to compare the survival curve between different categorical variables. Both bivariable and multivariable Cox-proportional hazard regression models were fitted to identify predictors of LTFU. Results Among a cohort of 484 HIV patients at Debre Markos Referral Hospital, 84 (17.36%) were loss their ART follow-up. The overall incidence rate of loss to follow-up was 3.7 (95% CI 3.0, 5.0) per 100 adult-years. The total LTFU free time of the participants was 2294.8 person-years. In multivariable Cox-regression analysis, WHO stage IV (AHR 2.8; 95% CI 1.2, 6.2), having no cell phone (AHR 1.9; 95% CI 1.1, 3.4), and rural residence (AHR 0.6; 95% CI 0.37, 0.99) were significant predictors of loss to follow-up. Conclusion The incidence of loss to ART follow-up in this study was low. Having no cell phone and WHO clinical stage IV were causative predictors, and rural residence was the only protective factor of loss to follow-up. Therefore, available intervention modalities should be strengthened to mitigate loss to follow-up by addressing the identified risk factors.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Arena ◽  
Jingping Mo ◽  
Charu Sabharwal ◽  
Elizabeth Begier ◽  
Xiaofeng Zhou ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Although stroke is an uncommon but life-threatening complication among spinal surgery patients, the recognition of this adverse event is critical given the aging population undergoing surgical procedures. The objective of this study was to estimate the incidence of stroke among adults undergoing elective posterior lumbar fusion (PLF) during post-operative risk windows and among different subgroups. Methods: A retrospective cohort study using a longitudinal electronic healthcare record (EHR) database was conducted from January 1, 2007 to June 30, 2018. Elective PLF, stroke, and select clinical characteristics were defined based on International Classification of Disease codes. Patients aged 18 to 85 years with ≥ 183 days of enrollment in the database prior to undergoing elective PLF were followed from the index date until the occurrence of stroke, death, loss to follow-up, or end of study period, whichever occurred first. Incidence proportions (IPs) and rates (IRs) of stroke were estimated in the following risk windows: index hospitalization, ≤ 30 days, ≤ 90 days, ≤ 180 days, and ≤ 365 days post-operation Results: A total of 43,063 patients were eligible for the study. The IP of stroke following elective PLF ranged from 0.29% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.25%, 0.35%) during index hospitalization to 1.12% (95% CI: 1.03%, 1.23%) ≤ 365 days post-operation; the IR of stroke following elective PLF per 1000 person-years decreased consistently from 229.08 (95% CI: 192.38, 272.78) during index hospitalization to 13.68 (95% CI: 12.51, 14.96) ≤ 365 days post-operation. Stratified analyses revealed that older patients had a higher incidence of stroke. Additionally, black patients had higher stroke incidences than white, Asian, or other patients. Furthermore, the incidence of post-operative stroke was higher among patients with a history of type 2 diabetes than among patients without such history. Conclusions: The incidence of stroke following elective PLF found here using an EHR database is slightly higher than that reported in the literature; however, the discrepancy is due to differences in the variable definitions, study populations, follow-up periods, and data sources between our study and those in the literature.


BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. e026714 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip R Harvey ◽  
Tom Thomas ◽  
Joht Singh Chandan ◽  
Neeraj Bhala ◽  
Krishnarajah Nirantharakumar ◽  
...  

ObjectivesTo measure the rates of lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) and mortality following feeding gastrostomy (FG) placement in patients with learning disability (LD). Following this to compare these rates between those having LRTI prior to FG placement and those with no recent LRTI.DesignRetrospective cohort study.Setting and participantsThe study population included patients with LD undergoing FG placement in the ‘The Health Improvement Network’ database. Patients with LRTI in the year prior (LYP) to their FG placement were compared with patients without a history of LRTI in the year prior (non-LYP) to FG placement. FG placement and LD were identified using Read codes previously developed by an expert panel.Main outcome measuresIncidence rate ratio (IRR) of developing LRTI and mortality following FG, comparing patients with LRTI in the year prior to FG placement to patients without a history of LRTI.Results214 patients with LD had a FG inserted including 743.4 person years follow-up. 53.7% were males and the median age was 27.6 (IQR 19.6 to 38.6) years. 27.1% were in the LYP patients. 18.7% had a LRTI in the year following FG, with an estimated incidence rate of 254 per 1000-person years. Over the study period the incidence rate of LRTI in LYP patients was 369 per 1000-person years, in non-LYP patients this was 91 per 1000-person years (adjusted IRR 4.21 (95% CI 2.68 to 6.63) p<0.001). 27.1% of patients died during study follow-up. Incidence rate of death was 80 and 45 per 1000-person year for LYP and non-LYP patients, respectively (adjusted IRR 1.80 (1.00 to 3.23) p=0.05).ConclusionIn LD patients, no clinically meaningful reduction in LRTI incidence was observed following FG placement. Mortality and LRTI were higher in patients with at least one LRTI in the year preceding FG placement, compared with those without a preceding LRTI.


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