Survival Rates among Co-infected Patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Tuberculosis in Tehran, Iran.

BACKGROUND: The number of deaths related with co-infection of tuberculosis (TB) and HIV remains inappropriately high worldwide. TB is anticipated to be the major reason of HIV-related deaths globally. This study aimed to find out and evaluate the characteristics of the possible risk factors influencing the survival time of co-infected patients with HIV/TB in Tehran the capital of Iran.

METHODS: This retrospective study was performed on the referred patients to the one of two Behavioral Diseases Counseling Centers, Imam Khomeini, and Zamzam Centers, Tehran, Iran, in 2004-2013. Data were analyzed by Cox PH model utilizing SPSS16 statistical software.

RESULTS: Multivariate analysis confirmed that the age at diagnosis (P=0.014), gender (P=0.002), sexual transmission (P=0.01), cotrimoxazole preventive therapy (P<0.001), and onset to TB after post-HIV diagnosis (P=0.01) were the parameters which had significant effects on the death of HIV/TBco-infected patients.

CONCLUSION: The results, recommend interplay between different risk factors and the risk of death in co-infected patients with HIV/TB. We presented the barriers to higher-level organizational and functional integration for commitment to interfere with the modifiable risk factors, which effect on the mortality of patients.