scholarly journals A review of the management and outcome of patients admitted with cryptococcal meningitis at a regional hospital in KwaZulu-Natal province

2019 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 27
Author(s):  
Andrew J. Ross ◽  
Egide Ndayishimiye
Keyword(s):  
Hospital Mortality ◽  
Amphotericin B ◽  
Cryptococcal Meningitis ◽  
Regional Hospital ◽  
Cd4 Count ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Department Of Health ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Dose Oral ◽  
Intravenous Amphotericin

Background: South Africa has 7.06 million people who are HIV-positive, with those having a low CD4 count being susceptible to cryptococcal meningitis (CCM), which has an estimated mortality of 30–50%. This study aimed to establish the outcome of patients admitted with CCM to a regional hospital in Durban between June 2015 and May 2016, and the extent to which the National Department of Health (NDoH) protocol was adhered to in managing their condition.Method: This retrospective observational descriptive study reviewed the records of patients ≥ 12 years old admitted with CCM between June 2015 and May 2016, from which their demographic and medical data were extracted.Results: Seventy-six complete records were found of which 49 were men and 27 were women. The average CD4 count was 55.9 cells/mm3, 85.5% were treated with intravenous amphotericin B and high-dose oral fluconazole, 6.7% received only amphotericin B and 5.2% received only fluconazole. There was an in-hospital mortality of 31.6%, and the NDoH protocol was adhered to in 72.4% (55/76) of patients. There was, however, no significant difference in outcome between those who were and were not managed as per the protocol (p = 0.177).Discussion and conclusion: In-hospital mortality for CCM continues to be significant despite high rates of adherence to the NDoH protocol in the majority of patients. For this to be addressed, early diagnosis of HIV and initiation of ART to prevent the profound immunosuppression is essential.

scholarly journals High Mortality in HIV-Associated Cryptococcal Meningitis Patients Treated With Amphotericin B–Based Therapy Under Routine Care Conditions in Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Raju K K Patel ◽  
Tshepo Leeme ◽  
Caitlin Azzo ◽  
Nametso Tlhako ◽  
Katlego Tsholo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amphotericin B ◽  
Cryptococcal Meningitis ◽  
Treatment Guidelines ◽  
Routine Care ◽  
Outcome Data ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Recommended Treatment ◽  
Amphotericin B Deoxycholate ◽  
Intravenous Amphotericin

Abstract Background Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) causes 10%–20% of HIV-related deaths in Africa. Due to limited access to liposomal amphotericin and flucytosine, most African treatment guidelines recommend amphotericin B deoxycholate (AmB-d) plus high-dose fluconazole; outcomes with this treatment regimen in routine care settings have not been well described. Methods Electronic national death registry data and computerized medical records were used to retrospectively collect demographic, laboratory, and 1-year outcome data from all patients with CM between 2012 and 2014 at Botswana’s main referral hospital, when recommended treatment for CM was AmB-d 1 mg/kg/d plus fluconazole 800 mg/d for 14 days. Cumulative survival was estimated at 2 weeks, 10 weeks, and 1 year. Results There were 283 episodes of CM among 236 individuals; 69% (163/236) were male, and the median age was 36 years. All patients were HIV-infected, with a median CD4 count of 39 cells/mm3. Two hundred fifteen person-years of follow-up data were captured for the 236 CM patients. Complete outcome data were available for 233 patients (99%) at 2 weeks, 224 patients (95%) at 10 weeks, and 219 patients (93%) at 1 year. Cumulative mortality was 26% (95% confidence interval [CI], 20%–32%) at 2 weeks, 50% (95% CI, 43%–57%) at 10 weeks, and 65% (95% CI, 58%–71%) at 1 year. Conclusions Mortality rates following HIV-associated CM treated with AmB-d and fluconazole in a routine health care setting in Botswana were very high. The findings highlight the inadequacies of current antifungal treatments for HIV-associated CM and underscore the difficulties of administering and monitoring intravenous amphotericin B deoxycholate therapy in resource-poor settings.

scholarly journals Amphotericin B for cryptococcal meningitis in HIV positive patients: Low dose versus high dose

2007 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 112-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Rajeshwari ◽  
Prabha M.R. Adhikari* ◽  
John T. Ramapuram* ◽  
Satish Rao* ◽  
M.R.S.M. Pai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amphotericin B ◽  
Cryptococcal Meningitis ◽  
Low Dose ◽  
Hiv Positive ◽  
High Dose

scholarly journals HIV-associated Cryptococcal Meningitis: a Review of Novel Short-Course and Oral Therapies

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 422-437
Author(s):  
Letumile R. Moeng ◽  
James Milburn ◽  
Joseph N. Jarvis ◽  
David S. Lawrence
Keyword(s):  
Amphotericin B ◽  
Cryptococcal Meningitis ◽  
Liposomal Amphotericin ◽  
Phase Iii ◽  
Induction Treatment ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Short Course ◽  
Incidence And Mortality ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Purpose of review HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis remains a significant public health problem in parts of Africa and Asia and a major cause of AIDS-related mortality, accounting for 15% of all AIDS-related deaths worldwide. Cryptococcal meningitis is uniformly fatal if untreated, and access to antifungal therapy in regions with the highest burden is often limited. Outcomes with fluconazole monotherapy are poor, and induction treatment with amphotericin B and high-dose fluconazole for 2 weeks is associated with significant drug-related toxicities and prolonged hospital admissions. This review focuses on the potential of novel short-course and oral combination therapies for cryptococcal meningitis. Recent findings Recent clinical trials have shown that shorter courses of amphotericin, if paired with oral flucytosine, rather than fluconazole, can achieve non-inferior mortality outcomes. In addition, an oral combination of fluconazole and flucytosine is a potential alternative. Liposomal amphotericin B may further simplify treatment; it is associated with fewer drug-related toxicities, and a recent phase II randomised controlled trial demonstrated that a single, high dose of liposomal amphotericin is non-inferior to 14 standard daily doses at clearing Cryptococcus from cerebrospinal fluid. This has been taken forward to an ongoing phase III, clinical endpoint study. Summary The incidence and mortality associated with cryptococcal meningitis is still unacceptably high. There is evidence supporting the use of short-course amphotericin B and oral combination antifungal treatment regimens for cryptococcal meningitis (CM). Ongoing research into short-course, high-dose treatment with liposomal amphotericin may also help reduce the impact of this devastating disease.

scholarly journals Comparative Effectiveness of Induction Therapy for Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Associated Cryptococcal Meningitis: A Network Meta-Analysis

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey I. Campbell ◽  
Steve Kanters ◽  
John E. Bennett ◽  
Kristian Thorlund ◽  
Alexander C. Tsai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Amphotericin B ◽  
Induction Therapy ◽  
Cryptococcal Meningitis ◽  
Comparative Effectiveness ◽  
Treatment Guidelines ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Mortality Benefit ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus

Abstract Background.  Multiple international treatment guidelines recommend amphotericin-based combination regimens for induction therapy of cryptococcal meningitis. Yet, only 1 trial has reported a mortality benefit for combination amphotericin-flucytosine, and none have reported a mortality benefit for combination amphotericin-fluconazole. Methods.  We conducted a Bayesian network meta-analysis to estimate the comparative effectiveness of recommended induction therapies for HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis. We searched PubMed and Cochrane CENTRAL for clinical reports of induction therapy for HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis. We extracted or calculated early (two-week) and late (six to 12-week) mortality by treatment arm for the following induction regimens: amphotericin B alone, amphotericin B + flucytosine, amphotericin B + triazoles, amphotericin B + flucytosine +triazoles, triazoles alone, triazoles + flucytosine, liposomal amphotericin B, and amphotericin B + other medicines. Results.  In the overall sample (35 studies, n = 2483), we found no evidence of decreased mortality from addition of flucytosine or triazoles to amphotericin B, compared with amphotericin B alone. Although we did find a nonsignificant benefit for addition of flucytosine to amphotericin B in studies including participants with altered levels of consciousness, we did not ide.jpegy a benefit for combination therapy in restricted analyses in either resource-rich or resource-limited settings, studies conducted before or after 2004, and studies restricted to a high dose of amphotericin B and fluconazole. Conclusions.  Given considerations of drug availability and toxicity, there is an important need for additional data to clarify which populations are most likely to benefit from combination therapies for human immunodeficiency virus-associated cryptococcal meningitis.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document