[AIDS: descriptive study and survival analysis of the first 40 cases]

This work analyzes the epidemiologic and clinical characteristics survival and hospitalizations of the first 40 cases of AIDS attended in the Internal Medicine Service of a hospital in Murcia Spain. The cumulative incidence rate for HIV infection in the autonomous community of Murcia has increased for 16.7/million in 1988 to 87.37/million in May 1991. IV drug users accounted for 45.5% homosexuals for 26.4% and heterosexuals for 10.9%. The 40 patients diagnosed according to Centers for Disease Control criteria were prospectively studies between September 1988 and July 1991. Diagnosis of HIV infection was by ELISA test with confirmation by Western blot. 3 patients were diagnoses in 1988 19 in 1989 17 in 1990 and 19 through July 1991. 34 were male and 6 female. Ages ranged from 20-66 years and the average age was 39 years. Average age was 43 years for homosexual and bisexual men and 26 for IV drug users. 18 of the 40 were homosexual or bisexual and 11 were IV drug users. 8 heterosexuals included 5 who had relations with prostitutes and 2 with IV drug users. There was 1 prostitute. 2 patients were infected during blood transfusions. In 30 cases the form of presentation was an opportunistic infection and in 8 it was Kaposis sarcoma. The initial opportunistic infection was P. carinii pneumonia in 7 cases cerebral toxoplasmosis in 6 intestinal cryptosporidiasis in 5 esophageal candidiasis in 5 extrapulmonary tuberculosis in 4 and cryptococcus in 3. 65 additional opportunistic infections and 3 cases of Kaposis sarcoma were subsequently diagnosed. At the end of the study 23 patients were still alive 12 had died and 5 were lost to follow-up. The probability of survival calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method was 91% + or - 9.6 at 3 months 79.5% + or - 15.0 at 7 months and 72.5% + or - 18 at 15 months. 27.7% of patients were hospitalized for at least half of their survival time and 90% had at least 1 hospital admission.