Profile of cause of death assigned to adults on antiretroviral therapy in Soweto

Abstract

This retrospective cohort study describes causes of death in 305 patients (baseline median CD4 count 26/μl) from 2 943 adults on antiretroviral therapy. Acute sepsis (20%), tuberculosis (18%) and Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) bacteraemia (14%) were the most common causes. Mortality owing to the disease was 66% for MAC bacteraemia and 23% for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. In 37 patients dying beyond one year on ART, virological failure was present in 11 (30%), and non-HIV-related causes of death occurred in 10. The main causes were acute sepsis (6), tuberculosis (7) and chronic medical conditions (5). Initiating ART at higher CD4 counts should reduce early mortality.