K. Floyd et al., Admission trends in a rural south African hospital during the early years of the HIV epidemic, J AM MED A, 282(11), 1999, pp. 1087-1091
Citations number
30
Categorie Soggetti
General & Internal Medicine","Medical Research General Topics
Context Few studies have attempted to quantify the effect of the epidemic o
f human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AI
DS) on demand for health care in developing countries. More data are requir
ed to improve understanding of its impact and to guide development of appro
priate response strategies.
Objective To assess the HIV/AIDS epidemic's impact on demand for inpatient
hospital care in a rural area of South Africa.
Design Retrospective analysis of data from general hospital and individual
ward admission registers, a tuberculosis program database, and patient case
notes.
Setting and Patients Patients admitted between 1991 and 1998 to a 450-bed h
ospital that serves Hlabisa District, South Africa (population approximate
to 200 000), where HIV seroprevalence among antenatal clinic attendees incr
eased from 4% in 1992 to 29% in 1998,
Main Outcome Measures Number of admissions to 9 hospital wards, number of c
linical AIDS and general medical admissions (both excluding tuberculosis),
and number of tuberculosis admissions to adult medical wards during the stu
dy period.
Results Total hospital admissions increased by 81%, from 6562 in 1991 to 11
872 in 1998, Adult tuberculosis ward admissions increased by 360%, from 30
3 to 1393, In 1998, tuberculosis patients accounted for 47% and 30% of adul
t male and female medical ward admissions, respectively, and for 11% of tot
al hospital admissions. Nontuberculosis clinical AIDS cases increased 43-fo
ld, accounting for 4% of adult medical admissions in 1997 vs 0.2% in 1991.
Tuberculosis and nontuberculosis clinical AIDS cases were the only types of
admission to show a clear and consistent upward trend over the period stud
ied. Patterns in other types of admissions varied more and changes were sma
ller.
Conclusions The HIV/AIDS epidemic has had an important impact on demand for
adult tuberculosis and general medical care in a rural South African distr
ict hospital. If this impact is shown to extend to other rural South Africa
n areas, response strategies are urgently needed.