IMPACT OF AIDS ON ADMISSIONS AND MORTALIT Y-RATE IN AN INTERNAL-MEDICINE DEPARTMENT (1990-1995)

Objective. To know and analyze the main causes of death in an Internal Medicine Department (MI), as well as the impact of AIDS on admissions and mortality rate in such a Department. Materials and methods. A tot al of 275 patients out of the 35,521 attended patients from 1990 to 19 95 had positive serology to HIV (HIV+). A total of 1,793 deaths were r ecorded, 42 of which were attributed to AIDS. Clinical and epidemiolog ic parameters were studied; also, management parameters associated wit h death were investigated (particularly, those caused by this disease) . Results. The overall mortality rate was 5.04%, where as the mortalit y rate among HIV+ in patients was 15.27%; the primary causes of death were cardiovascular, tumoral, and respiratory diseases by decreasing f requency. AIDS was the first cause of death in patients aged less than 35 years. As for AIDS, the number of admissions on account of this di sease had a progressive increase along the study period; the mean age of dead patients (31.6 years) tenden to increase in the last few years and to be significantly higher among men (6 years); the mean of hospi tal stay among HIV+ patients (14.16 days) tenden to decrease in the la st few years. Conclusions. AIDS has had a progressive increase and has become the primary cause of hospital death in IM, in patients aged le ss than 35 years. As the experience with this disease increases, the m ean stay of HIV+ patients decreases, although it tends to increase in patients who ultimately die, possibly because of the social changes in the last few years, as disease, and particularly death, is intended t o become separated from family home.