Medical evacuations in Greenland in 2018: a descriptive study.

Information regarding medical evacuations in Greenland is sparse. This study provides an overview of incidence, costs, and diagnoses leading to medical evacuations in Greenland in 2018. This is a retrospective, observational study. Patients with a valid Danish civil personal registration number were included. Data were obtained by scrutinising the itinerary of the Greenland travel coordination office and the medical records. 481 patients were identified. Forty-nine patients were excluded. 432 patients were analysed. Two-thirds of the evacuations were carried out within Greenland. The overall incidence of evacuations was 7.7 evacuations per 1,000 inhabitants per year. This differed, however, between the five different health regions. The cost of a medical evacuation ranged from less than 4,800 US dollars to more than 50,000 US dollars per case. Pregnancy and childbirth accounted for the majority of evacuations in women (31.2%) while diseases within the circulatory system and digestive tract accounted for the majority of evacuations in men (39.8%). The costs of medical evacuations may be reduced when combining evacuations of more than one patient. This indicates that combining evacuations of multiple patients from one health region by applying mandatory use of a central coordinating service may be beneficial.

Neurosurgical Admission Later Than 4 h After the Emergency Call Does Not Result in Worse Long-Term Outcome in Subarachnoid Haemorrhage.

Background: Few studies have investigated the importance of the time interval between contact to the emergency medical service and neurosurgical admission in patients with spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage. We hypothesised that longer time to treatment would be associated with an increased risk of death or early retirement. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study with 4 years follow-up. Those who reached a neurosurgical department in fewer than 4 h were compared with those who reached it in more than 4 h. Individual level data were merged from the Danish National Patient Register, medical records, the Copenhagen Emergency Medical Dispatch Centre, the Civil Registration System, and the Ministry of Employment and Statistics Denmark. Patients were ≥18 years and had a verified diagnosis of spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage. The primary outcome was death or early retirement after 4 years. Results: Two hundred sixty-two patients admitted within a three-and-a-half-year time period were identified. Data were available in 124 patients, and 61 of them were in their working age. Four-year all-cause mortality was 25.8%. No significant association was found between time to neurosurgical admission and risk of death or early retirement (OR = 0.35, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.10-1.23, p = 0.10). Conclusion: We did not find an association between the time from emergency telephone call to neurosurgical admission and the risk of death or early retirement.

Criteria-based dispatch of emergency medical services in non-traumatic subarachnoid haemorrhage.

INTRODUCTION: Timely admission to a facility capable of providing highly specialised treatment is key in patients with spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage. We aimed to determine the time elapsed from the initial emergency telephone call to arrival at a neurosurgical department. Also, we aimed to determine the ambulance dispatch criteria used and the activated prehospital responses. METHODS: This was a retrospective study. Patients admitted in the Capital Region of Denmark within a 3.5-year period were identified in the Danish National Patient Register. Data were extracted from medical records and from automated telephone logs at the Emergency Medical Dispatch Centre. RESULTS: Time intervals were available in 124 out of 262 patients and ambulance dispatch criteria in 98 patients. The median time from call to neurosurgical admission was 207.5 minutes. The dispatch criterion sudden severe headache had a sensitivity of 17.4%. An ambulance with lights and sirens was dispatched to 77% of patients and 28% were brought directly to a hospital with neurosurgical facilities. CONCLUSIONS: The median time from emergency call to neurosurgical admission was 3.5 hours. No single dispatch criterion detected the condition with an acceptable sensitivity. A high proportion of patients received an ambulance with lights and sirens, but more than two out of three were not initially brought to a hospital with neurosurgical facilities. FUNDING: the non-profit organisation Trygfonden Trial registration: NCT03786068 - www.clinicaltrials.gov.

Symptoms presented during emergency telephone calls for patients with spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: A spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) is one of the most critical neurological emergencies a dispatcher can face in an emergency telephone call. No study has yet investigated which symptoms are presented in emergency telephone calls for these patients. We aimed to identify symptoms indicative of SAH and to determine the sensitivity of these and their association (odds ratio, OR) with SAH. METHODS: This was a nested case-control study based on all telephone calls to the medical dispatch center of Copenhagen Emergency Medical Services in a 4-year time period. Patients with SAH were identified in the Danish National Patient Register; diagnoses were verified by medical record review and their emergency telephone call audio files were extracted. Audio files were replayed, and symptoms extracted in a standardized manner. Audio files of a control group were replayed and assessed as well. RESULTS: We included 224 SAH patients and 609 controls. Cardiac arrest and persisting unconsciousness were reported in 5.8% and 14.7% of SAH patients, respectively. The highest sensitivity was found for headache (58.9%), nausea/vomiting (46.9%) and neck pain (32.6%). Among conscious SAH patients these symptoms were found to have the strongest association with SAH (OR 27.0, 8.41 and 34.0, respectively). Inability to stand up, speech difficulty, or sweating were reported in 24.6%, 24.2%, and 22.8%. The most frequent combination of symptoms was headache and nausea/vomiting, which was reported in 41.6% of SAH patients. More than 90% of headaches were severe, but headache was not reported in 29.7% of conscious SAH patients. In these, syncope was described by 49.1% and nausea/vomiting by 37.7%. CONCLUSION: Headache, nausea/vomiting, and neck pain had the highest sensitivity and strongest association with SAH in emergency telephone calls. Unspecific symptoms such as inability to stand up, speech difficulty or sweating were reported in 1 out of 5 calls. Interestingly, 1 in 3 conscious SAH patients did not report headache. Trial registration NCT03980613 ( www.clinicaltrials.gov ).

Ischaemic vascular disease and long-term mortality in emergency abdominal surgical patients: A population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Emergency abdominal surgery carries a high mortality, as patients are often frail with significant comorbidity. We aimed to evaluate the association between co-existing ischaemic vascular disease (IVD) and long-term mortality in patients undergoing emergency abdominal surgery. METHODS: We included adult emergency abdominal surgical patients operated on 13 Danish hospitals between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2010. Appendectomies were excluded. Data were retrieved from the National Patient Registry (NPR) and the Danish Anaesthesia Database. Preoperative IVD status was retrieved from NPR. We used crude and adjusted Cox regression analysis. The primary outcome was mortality within eight years. The secondary outcome was mortality within 30 days. RESULTS: We included 4864 patients, of which 2584 (53.7%) died within 8 years. Some 20.9% (1019/4864) had preoperative IVD. The adjusted association between preoperative IVD and mortality within 8 years was hazard ratio (HR) 1.10 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-1.20; P = .045). At 30 days, this association was HR 0.97 (95% CI, 0.84-1.13). CONCLUSION: In adult major emergency abdominal surgical patients, preoperative IVD was prevalent and associated with a 10% relative increase in long-term mortality, but not in short-term mortality.

Efficacy of the TMPRSS2 inhibitor camostat mesilate in patients hospitalized with Covid-19-a double-blind randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The trans-membrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) is essential for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) cell entry and infection. Efficacy and safety of TMPRSS2 inhibitors in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) have not been evaluated in randomized trials. METHODS: We conducted an investigator-initiated, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled multicenter trial in patients hospitalized with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection from April 4, to December 31, 2020. Within 48 h of admission, participants were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive the TMPRSS2 inhibitor camostat mesilate 200 mg three times daily for 5 days or placebo. The primary outcome was time to discharge or clinical improvement measured as ≥2 points improvement on a 7-point ordinal scale. Other outcomes included 30-day mortality, safety and change in oropharyngeal viral load. FINDINGS: 137 patients were assigned to receive camostat mesilate and 68 to placebo. Median time to clinical improvement was 5 days (interquartile range [IQR], 3 to 7) in the camostat group and 5 days (IQR, 2 to 10) in the placebo group (P = 0·31). The hazard ratio for 30-day mortality in the camostat compared with the placebo group was 0·82 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0·24 to 2·79; P = 0·75). The frequency of adverse events was similar in the two groups. Median change in viral load from baseline to day 5 in the camostat group was -0·22 log10 copies/mL (p <0·05) and -0·82 log10 in the placebo group (P <0·05). INTERPRETATION: Under this protocol, camostat mesilate treatment was not associated with increased adverse events during hospitalization for Covid-19 and did not affect time to clinical improvement, progression to ICU admission or mortality. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04321096. EudraCT Number: 2020-001200-42.

Regional variation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: Incidence and survival - A nationwide study of regions in Denmark.

AIM: Regional variation in incidence and survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) may be caused by many factors including differences in definitions and reporting. We examined regional differences in Denmark. METHODS: From the Danish Cardiac Arrest Registry we identified adult OHCA patients between 2009-2014 of presumed cardiac cause. Patients were grouped according to the five administrative/geographical regions of Denmark and survival was examined based on all arrest-cases (30-day survival percentage) and number of survivors per 100,000 inhabitants. RESULTS: We included 12,902 OHCAs of which 1550 (12.0 %) were alive 30 days after OHCA. No regional differences were observed in age, sex or comorbidities. Incidence of OHCA ranged from 32.9 to 42.4 per 100,000 inhabitants; 30-day survival percentages ranged from 8.5% to 13.8% and number of survivors per 100,000 inhabitants ranged from 3.5 to 5.9, across the regions. In one of the regions car-manned pre-hospital physicians were discontinued from 2011. Here, the incidence of OHCA per 100,000 inhabitants increased markedly from 37.1 in 2011 to 52.2 in 2014 and 30-day survival percentage decreased from 10.9 % in 2011 to 7.5 % in 2014; while the number of survivors per 100,000 inhabitants stagnated from 4.0 in 2011 to 3.9 in 2014. In comparison, survival increased in the other four regions. CONCLUSION: Differences in incidence and 30-day survival after OHCA were observed between the five regions of Denmark. Comparisons of survival should not only be based on survival percentages, but also on number of survivors of the background population as inclusion bias can influence survival outcomes.

The clinical use of hyperbaric oxygen in the treatment of Danish patients with diabetic foot ulcers.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) suffer from diabetes-related complications and comor-bidities. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a treatment modality with limited capacity used in the treatment of DFUs. It is important to ensure that HBOT is offered to patients who are suitable for this treatment regarding effect, compliance and life expectancy. The objective of the present study was to describe the population of patients with DFU who were referred to HBOT in Denmark in the 1999-2016 period. METHODS: All patients with DFU who were treated at the HBOT chamber in Copenhagen during the study period were considered. Patients with an invalid social security number or an incorrect diagnosis were excluded. Data on comor-bidities, amputation and death were extracted from the Danish National patient Registry and the Danish Civil Registration System. Continuous data were described as median values and binary data were described as proportions. The probability estimate for survival and amputation was investigated by constructing Kaplan-Meier curves. RESULTS: The cohort included 148 patients. Patients were mainly referred from the Capital Region (92%) and multi-disciplinary wound care centres were the primary referring departments (67%). Comorbidity rates were high with an initial median Charlson Comorbidity Index score of five. The five-year amputation and mortality estimates after referral were 73.5% and 51.8%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The study showed that Danish DFU patients who are offered HBOT are in advanced stages of their disease, and the referral hinges on local factors such as geography and the referring source rather than on standardised procedures. FUNDING: none. TRIAL REGISTRATION: not relevant.

Oncological treatment and outcome of colorectal cancer in Greenland.

Oncological treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) has been available in Greenland since 2004. Treatment is provided by Queen Ingrid´s Hospital (QIH), under supervision from the Department of Oncology, Rigshospitalet, Denmark. The study describes patient characteristics, oncological treatment and survival for the first 8 years of treatment. The study was a registry-based observational study of all patients in Greenland diagnosed with histologically verified CRC from August 2004 to August 2012. Analyses were stratified according to stage and discussed in relation to reported data from patients with CRC in Denmark. 180 patients were included. . Stage I, II, III, and IV comprised 15, 34, 23, and 23%, respectively. 5% presented with unknown stage. A total of 51% received oncological treatment. 79% of patients with Stage III disease received adjuvant chemotherapy, 61% of patients with metastatic CRC received palliative chemotherapy. Five-year survival was 48 and 53% for colon and rectum cancer, respectively. An insignificant trend towards higher survival in men than in women was seen; adjusted hazard ratio for death (women vs men) = 1.46 (95% CI = 0.97-2.19). In conclusion; Stage distribution, provision of oncological treatment and 5-year survival were comparable to patients diagnosed and treated in Denmark.

Short-stay unit hospitalisation vs. standard care outcomes in older internal medicine patients-a randomised clinical trial.

Background: the effect of hospitalisation in emergency department-based short-stay units (SSUs) has not been studied in older patients. We compared SSU hospitalisation with standard care at an Internal Medicine Department (IMD) in acutely admitted older internal medicine patients. Methods: pragmatic randomised clinical trial. We randomly assigned patients aged 75 years or older, acutely admitted for an internal medicine disease and assessed to be suitable for SSU hospitalisation to SSU hospitalisation or IMD hospitalisation. SSU hospitalisation was provided by a pragmatic 'fast-track' principle. The primary outcome was 90-day mortality. Secondary outcomes included adverse events, change in Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) score within 90 days from admission, in-hospital length of stay and unplanned readmissions within 30 days after discharge. Results: between January 2015 and October 2016, 430 participants were randomised (median age 84 years in both groups). Ninety-day mortality was 22(11%) in the SSU group and 32(15%) in the IMD group (odds ratio (OR) 0.66; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.37-1.18; P = 0.16). When comparing the SSU group to the IMD group, 16(8%) vs. 45(21%) experienced at least one adverse event (OR 0.31; 95% CI 0.17-0.56; P < 0.001); 6(3%) vs. 35(20%) experienced a reduction in IADL score within 90 days from admission (P < 0.001); median in-hospital length of stay was 73 h [interquartile range, IQR 36-147] vs. 100 h [IQR 47-169], (P < 0.001), and 26(13%) vs. 58(29%) were readmitted (OR 0.37; 95% CI 0.22-0.61; P < 0.001). Conclusions: mortality at 90 days after admission was not significantly lower in the SSU group, but SSU hospitalisation was associated with a lower risk of adverse events, less functional decline, fewer readmissions and shorter hospital stay. Trial registration: NCT02395718.

Anaesthesia practice in Denmark for relocation of the dislocated hip after total hip arthroplasty.

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of hip dislocations after total hip arthroplasty (THA) is 2-4% in Denmark. Patients with a dislocated THA are often elderly citizens with comorbidities and severe pain in the pre-reposition phase. Evidence as to which method of anaesthesia and airway management is best for hip relocation is lacking. The aim of this study was to determine how anaesthesiologists in Denmark provide anaesthesia for relocation of THAs, and if a local guideline is available. METHODS: A questionnaire was distributed by e-mail to all members of the Danish Association of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care and the Danish Society of Young Anaesthesiologists. RESULTS: A total of 480 doctors completed the questionnaire. Of these, 61% (291/480) worked at a department providing anaesthesia for relocation of THAs of whom 85% (248/291) had provided anaesthesia during at least one hip dislocation during the past two years. A total of 27% (67/248) had access to a local guideline of whom 72% (48/67) followed the guideline. In all, 55% (134/248) preferred the patient to be fasting before anaesthesia. The preferred methods of anaesthesia were general anaesthesia with laryngeal mask 43% (106/248) and endotracheal intubation 45% (112/248). 5% (12/248) had experienced complications to anaesthesia. Cardiovascular complications and aspiration were the most frequently reported complications. CONCLUSIONS: Provision of anaesthesia for relocation of a dislocated THA varies across Denmark. Few anaesthesi-ologists have access to a local guideline. FUNDING: none. TRIAL REGISTRATION: not relevant.

Anaesthesia in patients undergoing esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy for suspected bleeding.

INTRODUCTION: Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is a common emergency. Currently, there are no agreed guidelines on the level of anaesthetic support required in patients undergoing acute esophago-gastro-duodendoscopy (EGD). METHODS: An online questionnaire comprising 19 questions was distributed to all members of the Danish Association of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (n = 1,418) and the Danish Society of Anaesthesiologists in Training (n = 566). The questions concerned clinical practice for anaesthesia care to patients undergoing EGD for suspected UGIB and availability of local guidelines. RESULTS: A total of 521 anaesthetists who had, on average, concluded medical school 14 years earlier (range: 9-27 years) answered the questionnaire. Of the responders, 65.5% (167/255; 95% confidence interval (CI): 59.7-71.3) had provided anaesthesia to five or more patients with suspected UGIB during the previous six months. 32.9% (110/333; 95% CI: 27.9-38.0) had a local guideline for this procedure. Rapid sequence induction was part of the guideline for 71.8% (79/110; 95% CI: 63.4-80.2) in case of general anaesthesia (GA). The preferred choice of anaesthesia was GA with endotracheal intubation (56.2%; 187/333; 95% CI: 50.9-61.5). CONCLUSIONS: We found considerable variation in daily clinical practice of anaesthesia for patients undergoing EGD for suspected UGIB. The fact that anaesthesia for UGIB is a complex emergency procedure may underline the need for development of an international or at least a national guideline. FUNDING: The study received financial support from Karner's Foundation, Denmark. TRIAL REGISTRATION: not relevant.

The impact of a physician-staffed helicopter on outcome in patients admitted to a stroke unit: a prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Transportation by helicopter may reduce time to hospital admission and improve outcome. We aimed to investigate the effect of transport mode on mortality, disability, and labour market affiliation in patients admitted to the stroke unit. METHODS: Prospective, observational study with 5.5 years of follow-up. We included patients admitted to the stroke unit the first three years after implementation of a helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) from a geographical area covered by both the HEMS and the ground emergency medical services (GEMS). HEMS patients were compared with GEMS patients. Primary outcome was long-term mortality after admission to the stroke unit. RESULTS: Of the 1679 patients admitted to the stroke unit, 1068 were eligible for inclusion. Mortality rates were 9.04 per 100 person-years at risk (PYR) in GEMS patients and 9.71 per 100 PYR in HEMS patients (IRR = 1.09, 95% CI 0.79-1.49; p = 0.60). The 30-day mortality was 7.4% with GEMS and 7.9% with HEMS (OR = 1.02, CI 0.53-1.96; p = 0.96). Incidence rate of involuntary early retirement was 6.97 per 100 PYR and 7.58 per 100 PYR in GEMS and HEMS patients, respectively (IRR = 1.19, CI 0.27-5.26; p = 0.81). Work ability after 2 years and time on social transfer payments did not differ between groups. We found no significant difference in mean modified Rankin Scale score after 3 months (2.21 GEMS vs. 2.09 HEMS; adjusted mean difference = -0.20, CI -0.74-0.33; p = 0.46). DISCUSSION: The possible benefit of HEMS for neurological outcome is probably difficult to detect by considering mortality, but for the secondary analyses we had less statistical power as illustrated by the wide confidence intervals. CONCLUSION: Helicopter transport of stroke patients was not associated with reduced mortality or disability, nor improved labour market affiliation compared to patients transported by a ground unit. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT02576379 ).

Association between prehospital physician involvement and survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A Danish nationwide observational study.

AIM: Sudden out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is an important public health problem. While several interventions are known to improve survival, the impact of physician-delivered advanced cardiac life support for OHCA is unclear. We aimed to assess the association between prehospital physician involvement and 30-day survival. METHODS: Observational study including persons registered with first-time OHCA of any cause in the Danish Cardiac Arrest Registry during 2005-2012. We used logistic regression analysis to assess the association between 30-day survival and involvement of a physician at any time before arrival at the hospital. Secondary outcomes were 1-year survival and return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) before arrival at the hospital. The associations were explored in three multivariable models: a model with simple adjustment, a model with multiple imputation of missing variables, and a propensity score model where exposed subjects were matched 1:1 with unexposed subjects on a propensity score reflecting the probability of being assigned to the exposure group. RESULTS: 21,165 persons with OHCA during 2005-2012 were included. Overall, 10.8% of OHCA patients with physician involvement and 8.1% of OHCA patients without physician involvement before arrival at hospital were alive after 30 days, crude odds ratio (OR)=1.37 (95% CI=1.24-1.51), adjusted OR=1.18 (95% CI=1.04-1.34). Physician involvement was also positively associated with ROSC, OR=1.09 (95% CI=1.00-1.19); and with 1-year survival, OR=1.13 (95% CI=0.99-1.29). CONCLUSION: In this large population-based observational study, we found prehospital physician involvement after OHCA associated with better 30-day survival. This association was also found for ROSC, but with less certainty for 1-year survival.

Anaesthesia care for emergency endoscopy for peptic ulcer bleeding. A nationwide population-based cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Currently, no standard approach exists to the level of monitoring or presence of staff with anaesthetic expertise required during emergency esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy (EGD) for peptic ulcer bleeding (PUB). We assess the association between anaesthesia care and mortality. We further describe the prevalence and inter-hospital variation of anaesthesia care in Denmark and identify clinical predictors for choosing anaesthesia care. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This population-based cohort study included all emergency EGDs for PUB in adults during 2012-2013. About 90-day all-cause mortality after EGD was estimated by crude and adjusted logistic regression. Clinical predictors of anaesthesia care were identified in another logistic regression model. RESULTS: Some 3.056 EGDs performed at 21 hospitals were included; 2074 (68%) received anaesthesia care and 982 (32%) were managed under supervison of the endoscopist. Some 16.7% of the patients undergoing EGD with anaesthesia care died within 90 days after the procedure, compared to 9.8% of the patients who had no anaesthesia care, adjusted OR = 1.51 (95% CI = 1.25-1.83). Comparing the two hospitals with the most frequent (98.6% of al EGDs) and least frequent (6.9%) use of anaesthesia care, mortality was 13.7% and 11.7%, respectively, adjusted OR = 1.22 (95% CI = 0.55-2.71). The prevalence of anaesthesia care varied between the hospitals, median = 78.9% (range 6.9-98.6%). Predictors of choosing anaesthesia care were shock at admission, high ASA score, and no pre-existing comorbidity. CONCLUSIONS: Use of anaesthesia care for emergency EGD was associated with increased mortality, most likely because of confounding by indication. The use of anaesthesia care varied greatly between hospitals, but was unrelated to mortality at hospital level.

The road to success. Long-term prognosis for persons living with HIV in Denmark - time trends and risk factors.

The work on this thesis began in 2003 when the global HIV epidemic was out of control. A minority of persons with HIV were benefitting fully from the recently introduced highly efficacious antiretroviral therapy (ART) combinations. Among the global challenges were lack of access to good healthcare, drug toxicity, and emergence of drug-resistant virus. It was unknown how long the drugs could maintain their efficacy in the individual even if administered as intended, and there was a fear that the increased drug pressure would increase the prevalence of drug resistance, subsequently leading to transmission of resistant virus from one individual to another, and thereby waning the treatment options available. Hence, we were far from the ideal conditions where an HIV-infected individual gets to know immediately that he/she is infected, has access to specialized medical and social support, receives a drug combination which effectively suppresses the virus and has no side effects, and is free of co-morbid conditions both before and after he/she gets infected. The nine papers on which this thesis is based each aimed to provide new knowledge to aspects of the above. Late diagnosis and late presentation to clinical care continue to be major barriers to improved HIV management. We used nation-wide hospital registries to explore the potential for an indicator disease-based HIV testing strategy. A range of conditions that were manifestations of the HIV infection itself were found to be associated with highly increased risk of HIV diagnosis during the coming year, but less so three to five years later. Other conditions were associated with an almost constant five-year long increased risk of being diagnosed with HIV because they share behavioural risk factors with HIV, making them indicators of not only current HIV but also of future HIV acquisition. Hence, indicator condition-based testing should be adapted to the local epidemic and could be a valuable addition to the existing detection practice. Once diagnosed, getting the full benefit of modern HIV care requires access to a good healthcare system. We compared temporal trends in quality and quantity of ART introduction in Den-mark and Greenland. Despite similar levels of health worker education and economic resources, ART implementation and mortality decline in Greenland lacked several years behind Denmark. The study reminded us that although economy may be a prerequisite for implementing an effective HIV care system, it is certainly not all it takes. The nationwide nature of the Danish HIV Cohort Study also allowed us to study a number of time trends at the population level. Despite what was feared, we found that the prevalence of triple-drug class virological failure (TCF) seemed to have stabilized after 2000; that the incidence rates of drug resistance acquisition were decreasing during 1999-2005; and that the prevalence of potential transmitters of drug-resistant HIV decreased during 1997-2004. We also looked at some of the consequences of virological failure and drug resistance and found that even modest levels of viraemia were associated with a high risk of future failure and death, and that in persons who have experienced TCF, the number and pattern of resistance mutations were independent predictors of death. Hence, despite the overall positive trends in virological failure and drug-resistance development at the population level, our findings underline the crucial importance of always having an effective treatment option available for the individual patient with drug-resistant virus. As mortality was declining for persons with access to ART and good HIV care, it became important to know how long persons with HIV could expect to live compared to the general population. We projected long-term survival and found that a 25-year old person with HIV and without hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection had a 50 per cent chance of surviving another 39 years, only 12.2 years less than a person in a matched general population cohort would survive. With improved survival and declining HIV-related co-morbidity, non-HIV related co-morbidity became a more visible contributor to the health status of persons with HIV. We assessed the impact of non-HIV related comorbidity acquired before the person became infected with HIV. We found that 32% of the observed mortality in our cohort was due to HCV and co-morbidities measured by the Charlson Comorbidity Index, 13% corresponded to the background mortality in the population, and that only 55% of the mortality could be attributed to HIV. Our findings confirmed that persons acquiring HIV differ at large from the general population, and that we should not expect overall mortality rates in populations with HIV to reach the levels in the general population. This thesis attempted to map some of the many challenges on the road towards increased survival of individuals and populations with HIV up to a level, which today in many settings is close to that of the general population. The studies in this thesis have each paid their modest contribution to show how crucially important it is to be diagnosed in time, to have access to a well-functioning health system, and to keep free of co-morbidity both before and after acquiring HIV. After many years of struggle and despair, and thanks to enormous advances in prevention and treatment, we are now looking towards a promising future.