HIV-TB & ART Eligibility in Karnataka, India
Author Information
Author(s): Kumar Ajay M. V., Gupta Devesh, Rewari B. B., Bachani Damodar, Mohammed Suresh, Sharma Vartika, Lal Kumaraswamy, Reddy H. R. Raveendra, Naik Balaji, Prasad Rita, Yaqoob Mohammed, Deepak K. G., Shastri Suresh, Satyanarayana Srinath, Harries Anthony David, Chauhan Lakhbir Singh, Dewan Puneet
Primary Institution: Central TB Division, Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India
Hypothesis
Will adoption of the 2010 WHO ART guidelines for HIV-infected TB patients increase the demand for ART services in India?
Conclusion
In Karnataka, about nine out of ten HIV-infected TB patients were eligible for ART according to the 2006 WHO ART guidelines, and extending ART to all HIV-infected TB patients would not significantly burden the national ART program.
Supporting Evidence
- 93% of TB patients had known HIV status.
- 12% of TB patients were HIV-infected.
- 88% of assessed HIV-infected TB patients were eligible for ART according to 2006 guidelines.
- 80% of patients started ART within 8 weeks of TB treatment.
- 95% received an efavirenz-based regimen.
Takeaway
This study found that most HIV-infected TB patients in Karnataka could get treatment, and changing the rules to help more people could save lives without causing too much extra work for doctors.
Methodology
Cross-sectional study reviewing TB and HIV program records in Karnataka.
Potential Biases
Potential biases due to reliance on existing program data and incomplete records.
Limitations
The study relied on routinely collected data, which may have inaccuracies, and did not assess treatment outcomes for patients with CD4 counts >350/mm3.
Participant Demographics
Of the 710 HIV-infected TB patients, 66% were male, and the majority were aged 25-54 years.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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