ABSTRACT
Abstract INTRODUCTION: We assessed the clinical-epidemiological profile of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients in the Santos region (São Paulo state) with the highest AIDS prevalence in Brazil. METHODS Information was extracted from records of 409 AIDS-infected patients hospitalized between 2011 and 2016. RESULTS: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was diagnosed in 24.7% of patients during admission, and 39.6% of already diagnosed patients received highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) irregularly. The mortality rate was 19.1%, and the main secondary manifestations were neurotoxoplasmosis and tuberculosis. CONCLUSIONS: AIDS patients in the Santos region had high rates of late diagnosis and low treatment adherence.