Ds. Fuentes et al., ANALYSIS OF THE DECISION TO ENACT CHEMOPR OPHYLAXIS WITH ISONIAZIDE IN HIV-INFECTED INTRAVENOUS DRUG USING PATIENTS, Revista Clinica Espanola, 194(2), 1994, pp. 81-86
Objectives: Analyze the decision to enact or to refrain from chemoprop
hylaxis (CP) with isoniazide (INH) in patients who are intravenous dru
g users (IVDU) in Spain infected by the human immunodeficiency virus (
HIV), either classified or not with hypersensitive skin tests. Methods
: With the bibliographic information available and the help of decisio
n tree, an analysis of the effectiveness and of the consequences of dr
ug costs of CP with INH in those patients is performed. Results: Overa
ll, the HIV+ IVDU benefit from CP is an increase in survival of 80 day
s, with a savings of 7,252 pesetas per patient. The intradermal reacti
on with PPD and the retarded hypersensitivity tests (HCR) allow us to
classify them in three subgroups: a) PPD+ where CP is universally admi
tted and thus corroborates our study; b) PPD-/HCR- where CP increases
survival 201 days and saves 20,616 pesetas per patient; and c) PPD-/HC
R+ where survival is increased 33 days and the pharmacological costs i
ncrease 1,536 pesetas per patient under CP. Conclusions: For the prese
nt situation in Spain, CP with INH is effective in HIV+ IVDU patients,
independent of the results of the intradermal reation skin tests.