HOSPITALIZATION PARAMETERS IN PATIENTS INFECTED WITH HIV - AN ANALYSIS OF THE PERIOD 1992-1997

The course of several hospitalization parameters of HIV-infected patie nts in a general hospital during the past 6 years was analyzed. There was a decrease observed in the number of non-AIDS diagnosed patients a dmitted during the observation period, but this decrement was noted on ly in the past 2 years in AIDS patients. This decline was not accounte d for by a decrease in the incidence of AIDS patients seen each year, and was very probably due to the efficacy of antiretroviral combinatio n therapy. The average length of stay of both AIDS and non-AIDS diagno sed patients decreased markedly during the first 3 years to stabilize during the remaining observation period. An analysis of the mode in wh ich the patients were seen for the first time in the hospital (admitte d from the emergency department because of complications of advanced H IV infection or attended in the outpatient clinic) revealed that, afte r a steady decrease from 1985 to 1995 in the relative proportion of pa tients hospitalized (p < 0.0001), there was an inversion of the downwa rd trend in the past two years (p = 0.04). Most of the patients admitt ed during these 2 years were persons who did not know that they were i nfected with HIV. This observation reinforces the need for education c ampaigns and voluntary HIV testing which are particularly directed tow ard persons with high risk factors for the infection, in order to prov ide medical care before complications of advanced HIV infection appear .