Is transcription of data on antiretroviral treatment from electronic to paper-based registers reliable in Malawi?

SETTING: Antiretroviral treatment (ART) clinics at one central hospital, three district hospitals and one mission hospital in the central and southern regions of Malawi. OBJECTIVE: To measure the extent of inaccuracies in the transcription of case registration and recorded deaths between electronic medical data (EMR) and paper registers. This was done to inform the Ministry of Health on the reliability of the paper-based system as backup in case of EMR failure. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of routine programme data. RESULTS: A total of 31 763 registrations and 2922 deaths in the EMR were compared with those in the paper registers. In one hospital, up to 24% of overall case registrations were missing from the paper registers. At other sites, the differences were minor and included duplicate patients who should have been classified as 'transfer in' patients in the paper register. There were major differences in the number of registered deaths in two of the five facilities. CONCLUSION: There are varying degrees of agreement between the EMR and paper registers which compromise the use of the latter as a backup solution in case of EMR failure. The reasons for this unreliability and ways forward to address the problem are discussed.

Outcomes in HIV-infected patients who develop tuberculosis after starting antiretroviral treatment in Malawi.

A retrospective review was conducted of patients starting antiretroviral treatment (ART) at Mzuzu Central Hospital, Malawi, to identify those who developed tuberculosis (TB) within 6 months of commencing ART and document their treatment outcomes. Of 2933 patients, 22 (0.75%) developed active TB, 17 (77%) of whom had commenced ART as a result of unexplained weight loss and/or fever. Of those who developed TB, 41% successfully completed anti-tuberculosis treatment, with lower survival probabilities than patients who did not develop TB. Easier methods are needed to diagnose TB in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients and to prevent patients from developing TB while on ART.

Outcomes of HIV-infected children with tuberculosis who are started on antiretroviral therapy in Malawi.

SETTING: Mzuzu Central Hospital, in the northern region of Malawi, which provides free antiretroviral therapy (ART) to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected adults and children, including those with tuberculosis (TB). OBJECTIVES: To compare outcomes in HIV-infected children who have been started on ART because of 1) active TB, 2) a past history of TB in the last 2 years and 3) a non-TB diagnosis. DESIGN: Retrospective data collection using ART patient master cards and ART patient registers. RESULTS: Between July 2004 and September 2006, 439 (11%) children of a total 3908 patients were started on ART. There were 29 with active TB, 56 with a past history of TB in the last 2 years and 354 with a non-TB diagnosis. The three groups were similar in nutritional indices and CD4-lymphocyte percentages. The 6-month probability of survival was 0.86 in the active TB group, 0.94 in the past history of TB group and 0.89 in the non-TB group. 12-month survival probability for the same groups was 0.86, 0.86 and 0.88, respectively. CONCLUSION: HIV-infected children with active and previous TB who are started on ART have good outcomes that are similar to those of children started on ART due to a non-TB diagnosis.

Outcomes of tuberculosis patients who start antiretroviral therapy under routine programme conditions in Malawi.

SETTING: Public sector facilities in Malawi providing antiretroviral therapy (ART) to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive patients, including those with tuberculosis (TB). OBJECTIVES: To compare 6-month and 12-month cohort treatment outcomes of HIV-positive TB patients and HIV-positive non-TB patients treated with ART. DESIGN: Retrospective data collection using ART patient master cards and ART patient registers. RESULTS: Between July and September 2005, 7905 patients started ART, 6967 with a non-TB diagnosis and 938 with a diagnosis of active TB. 6-month cohort outcomes of non-TB and TB patients censored on 31 March 2006 showed significantly more TB patients alive and on ART (77%) compared with non-TB patients (71%) (P < 0.001). Between January and March 2005, 4580 patients started ART, 4179 with a non-TB diagnosis and 401 with a diagnosis of active TB. 12-month cohort outcomes of non-TB and TB patients censored on 31 March 2006 showed significantly more TB patients alive and on ART (74%) compared with non-TB patients (66%) (P < 0.001). Other outcomes of default and transfer out were also significantly less frequent in TB compared with non-TB patients. CONCLUSION: HIV-positive TB patients on ART in Malawi have generally good treatment outcomes, and more patients need to access this HIV treatment.

WHO Stage 3 Disease Conditions and Outcomes in Patients Started on Antiretroviral Therapy in Malawi

Background: In Malawi; WHO stage 3 is the commonest reason for HIV-infected patients to be started on antiretroviral therapy (ART). The aim of the study was to document disease conditions with which patients are classified in Stage 3 and their relationship to 6-month treatment outcomes. Methodology: A retrospective survey was carried out examining ART patient treatment cards and ART registers in 6 publicsector health facilities in Southern Malawi. Results: There were 490 adult patients in Stage 3 who were started on ART; of whom 458 (93.5) were started due to one disease condition. Of these patients; symptomatic conditions (unexplained weight loss or chronic/intermittent fever for more than 1 month or chronic diarrhea for more than 1 month) were documented in 216 (47.2) patients; and active and previous tuberculosis in 148 (32.3) patients. There were no patients with oral hairy leukoplakia; severe mouth ulceration; or haematological abnormalities. At 6 months; 75of patients were alive on ART; 14were dead; 6were lost to follow-up and 4were transferred out. Adverse outcomes of death and lost to follow-up were more common in the group with a symptomatic condition (24.9) compared with the group with a specific disease condition (17.6) - OR 1.55 [95CI 0.95-2.53]. Conclusions: Nearly half the ART patients in Stage 3 started therapy due to a symptomatic condition; with outcomes inferior to those starting with a specific diagnosis. A better assessment of patients is needed so that serious; unrecognized diseases; forexample tuberculosis; are not missed before starting ART

Providing HIV care for tuberculosis patients in sub-Saharan Africa.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunedeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and tuberculosis (TB) cause an immense burden of disease in sub-Saharan Africa. A large amount of knowledge has been gathered in the last 15 years about the negative impact that HIV has on TB control, both at a programme level and at the level of the individual patient. Equally, interventions that are known to benefit patients have been tested and piloted, and these form important components of international TB-HIV guidelines, a TB-HIV strategic framework and an interim policy on TB-HIV coordination. Unfortunately, in sub-Saharan Africa there is little evidence that these interventions are being implemented on the ground, and one of the reasons for this paralysis is that the operational details are not well developed. This paper takes the three important HIV interventions of HIV testing and counselling, cotrimoxazole preventive treatment and antiretroviral treatment, and discusses some of the practical details of on-the-ground implementation. We hope that this will generate discussion, but above all, the impetus to start delivering services to patients.