Cause of Antiretroviral Drug Changes among Patients on Antiretroviral Therapy at the Art Center in Dessei Regional Referral Hospital, Ethiopia

Background: Beside the fact of poor adherence to antiretroviral drugs in resource limited country, serious adverse effects of the drugs and treatment failure complicate the whole management of antiretroviral therapy. Consequently, treatment modification and discontinuation of therapy has become a common phenomenon and hence limitation of treatment option has turn out the major concern of the future HAART. The aim of the study was to assess the factors responsible for modification of ARV regimen in patients taking ARV drugs. Methods: A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted between January 2007 and December 2007 in Dessie regional referral hospital Result: One hundred twenty two patients switch their first regimen in Dessie regional referral hospital within the study period. The most frequent prescribed first regimens before switch were AZT/3TC/EFV (36%), AZT/3TC/NVP (27%), D4T/3TC/EFV (19%) and D4T/3TC/NVP (18%). Toxicity (66%) followed by co-morbidity (14%) and planning pregnancy (11%) were the most common reasons for modification of antiretroviral therapy .The main toxicity was anemia (64 patients)and peripheral neuropathy (11 patients). Conclusion: The proportions of patients who modify HAART in our resource constrained setting present a challenge to the limited treatment options that currently present. INTRODUCTION: According to the latest figures published in the UNAIDS/WHO 2006 AIDS epidemic update, 39.5 million people were living with HIV (PLWHA), these figures included 4.3 million new infection HIV/AIDS. Meanwhile, 63% PLWHA were in sub-Saharan Africa where health coverage is poor . Based on report of 2006 taken from VCT centers, blood banks and ART programs, the cumulative number of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Ethiopia were about 1.32 million (45% male and 55% female) . The estimated number of new adult AIDS cases was 137,499. The number of PLWHA on need of ART was 277,757 including 43,055 (15.5%) children aged 0-14 years . The antiretroviral HIV drugs that are currently available can improve the quality of some one infected with HIV, helping them to stay well much longer than they otherwise would . After the introduction of ART, the overall AIDS related morbidity and mortality have been markedly decreased 1, . However, in resource limited country like Ethiopia even if the availability of ARV drugs have been cost free, there is still significant Correspondence to Author: