Factors Associated with Adverse Therapeutic Outcomes in People Living with HIV (PLHIV) Monitored in Roi Baudouin Health Care Center, Dakar, Senegal

Background: Optimizing antiretroviral therapy is an essential step to reach the 90 - 90 - 90 targets. Despite tremendous progress made for antiretroviral treatment (ART) to be accessible in countries with limited resources, health care providers continue to face challenges due to the under-optimization of ART due to therapeutic failures and poor retention. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of adverse therapeutic outcomes in a decentralized health care center and to determine associated factors. Patients and Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive and analytical study targeting PLHIV, aged 18 years and over, on first line antiretroviral treatment (ART), monitored onsite from February 1st to December 31st, 2018. A data collection form was completed from medical records (clinical, immuno-virological, therapeutic and evolutionary). Data were also collected from interviews with patients for additional socio-demographic information including the level of HIV knowledge. Data were captured and analyzed using EPI 2002 and R software. Proportions were compared using the chi -square and Fisher tests and logistic regression. A value of p < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: 331 patients were enrolled with HIV-1 profile in 89% of the cases. A proportion of 55% was married and 98% came from the rural area. 80% were either not or poorly educated. The median of age was 44 ± 11 years with a F/M ratio of 3.5. 30% that had not shared their HIV status, and more than half had a low knowledge of HIV transmission. At baseline, 56% were symptomatic at WHO stage 3 or 4. They had severe immunosuppression with a median CD4 count of 217 ± 187 cells/mm3; the viral load was detectable in half of the patients with a median viral load (VL) of 97,000 ± 70,569 cp/ml. The antiretroviral regimens combined 2 nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) with 1 no nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) in 88% of the cases. The median duration of follow-up was estimated at 60 ± 43 months. The prevalence of adverse therapeutic outcomes was 36% (119 patients). The proportion of virological failure was 19%, lost follow up was 20% and the mortality was 4%. The adverse therapeutic outcomes were associated with the age less than 25 years (p = 0.007) and with a late diagnosis (CD4 T cells at baseline less than 200 cell/mm3, p = 0.02). Conclusion: These results suggest the need to make new therapeutic classes available for first-line treatment and to promote actions improving retention in care.