Initial antiretroviral therapy in a 20-year observational cohort of patients followed at a reference center in the city of São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: Production and free universal access to ART for patients with HIV/Aids were responsible for a major fall in morbidity-mortality in Brazil. Objective: To describe antiretroviral treatment at the São Paulo STD/Aids Training and Reference Center. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of the characteristics of the first treatment with antiretroviral drugs of a retrospective cohort of patients 13 years and over, enrolled at the Reference Center, 1985-2005, described by frequency tables and graphs. Results: 4,191 patients were described. The most frequent initiation period was 1999-2003; 82.7% of patients were treatment naïve. Monotherapy prevailed until 1995, the peak of double therapy was 1996-98, and 1999-2005 was characterized by triple therapy. Regarding triple therapy, regimens with protease inhibitors accounted for 1,462 (34.9%) of all first prescriptions. The combination AZT, 3TC and EFV was the most frequently prescribed regimen (47.4%) in 2005. Conclusions: This descriptive study may enable more in depth analyses on the factors involved in the treatment patients with HIV/AIDS.