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Anthony D Harries

Publications and source records attributed to Anthony D Harries.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Risk factors for high early mortality in patients on antiretroviral treatment in a rural district of Malawi.

OBJECTIVES: Among adults started on antiretroviral treatment (ART) in a rural district hospital (a) to determine the cumulative proportion of deaths that occur within 3 and 6 months of starting ART, and (b) to identify risk factors that may be associated with such mortality. DESIGN AND SETTING: A cross-sectional analytical study set in Thyolo district, Malawi. METHODS: Over a 2-year period (April 2003 to April 2005) mortality within the first 3 and 6 months of starting ART was determined and risk factors were examined. RESULTS: A total of 1507 individuals (517 men and 990 women), whose median age was 35 years were included in the study. There were a total of 190 (12.6%) deaths on ART of which 116 (61%) occurred within the first 3 months (very early mortality) and 150 (79%) during the first 6 months of initiating ART. Significant risk factors associated with such mortality included WHO stage IV disease, a baseline CD4 cell count under 50 cells/mul and increasing grades of malnutrition. A linear trend in mortality was observed with increasing grades of malnutrition (chi for trend = 96.1, P </= 0.001) and decreasing CD4 cell counts (chi for trend = 72.4, P </= 0.001). Individuals who were severely malnourished [body mass index (BMI) < 16.0 kg/m] had a six times higher risk of dying in the first 3 months than those with a normal nutritional status. CONCLUSIONS: Among individuals starting ART, the BMI and clinical staging could be important screening tools for use to identify and target individuals who, despite ART, are still at a high risk of early death.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed2006

Supervision, monitoring and evaluation of nationwide scale-up of antiretroviral therapy in Malawi.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the supervision, monitoring and evaluation strategies used to assess the delivery of antiretroviral therapy during nationwide scale-up of treatment in Malawi. METHODS: In the first quarter of 2005, the HIV Unit of the Ministry of Health and its partners (the Lighthouse Clinic; Médecins Sans Frontières-Belgium, Thyolo district; and WHO's Country Office) undertook structured supervision and monitoring of all public sector health facilities in Malawi delivering antiretroviral therapy. FINDINGS: Data monitoring showed that by the end of 2004, there were 13,183 patients (5274 (40%) male, 12 527 (95%) adults) who had ever started antiretroviral therapy. Of patients who had ever started, 82% (10 761/13,183) were alive and taking antiretrovirals; 8% (1026/13,183) were dead; 8% (1039/13,183) had been lost to follow up; <1% (106/13,183) had stopped treatment; and 2% (251/13,183) had transferred to another facility. Of those alive and on antiretrovirals, 98% (7098/7258) were ambulatory; 85% (6174/7258) were fit to work; 10% (456/4687) had significant side effects; and, based on pill counts, 96% (6824/7114) had taken their treatment correctly. Mistakes in the registration and monitoring of patients were identified and corrected. Drug stocks were checked, and one potential drug stock-out was averted. As a result of the supervisory visits, by the end of March 2005 recruitment of patients to facilities scheduled to start delivering antiretroviral therapy had increased. CONCLUSION: This report demonstrates the importance of early supervision for sites that are starting to deliver antiretroviral therapy, and it shows the value of combining data collection with supervision. Making regular supervisory and monitoring visits to delivery sites are essential for tracking the national scale-up of delivery of antiretrovirals.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed2006

Who is accessing antiretroviral therapy during national scale-up in Malawi?

Malawi is scaling-up provision of free antiretroviral therapy (ART) in the public sector. In the fourth quarter of 2004 and the first quarter of 2005, 3261 and 4530 new patients, respectively, were started on ART. Of these patients, approximately 40% were male and 95% were adults aged > or =13 years. The age group data show that women who accessed ART were in general 10 years younger than men. Between 84% and 90% of patients were started on ART because of being clinically assessed as being in WHO stages III or IV, with the remainder started on ART owing to a low CD4 lymphocyte count. The number of tuberculosis (TB) patients started on ART was 351 (11% of ART patients) in the fourth quarter of 2004 and 702 (15% of ART patients, and 16% of registered TB patients) in the first quarter of 2005. Twenty-nine pregnant women were referred to ART from prevention of mother-to-child transmission programmes in the first quarter of 2005. Between 56% and 62% of patients were subsistence farmers, housewives or in business. Steady progress is being made with national scale-up, although more attention needs to be directed to children, pregnant women and patients with TB to improve their access to ART.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

HIV/AIDS and TB.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Africa South of the Sahara↗
PubMed2005

Efficacy and safety of two dosages of cotrimoxazole as preventive treatment for HIV-infected Malawian adults with new smear-positive tuberculosis.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of two different dosages of cotrimoxazole (CTX) in prophylaxis in HIV-positive new smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients in Blantyre, Malawi. METHOD: Randomized, double-blind trial using 480 and 960 mg of CTX given to new TB patients, who were followed up until the end of the tuberculosis treatment. The primary outcome was survival. The outcome in the two groups was also compared with an unselected cohort of similar patients registered in Zomba, Malawi in 1995 and new smear-positive patients registered in the National Tuberculosis Programme in 1999. The secondary outcome was the occurrence of (opportunistic) events, especially bacterial pneumonia. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in mortality and bacterial pneumonia between the groups receiving the two different dosages. The case fatality rate at the end of the tuberculosis treatment was 15.4% in the 480 mg group and 14.0% in the 960 mg group. This was lower than the case fatality rate in the Zomba cohort (19.2%, P = 0.10) and lower than the case fatality rate in the national programme (21.0%, P < 0.001). CTX was well tolerated. Compliance was fair. CONCLUSIONS: CTX prophylaxis may have a beneficial effect on mortality and morbidity in HIV-infected smear-positive tuberculosis patients in Malawi. The efficacy of both dosages is not significantly different. The intervention is cheap and easy to implement. These results would support implementation of CTX in this patient group until better strategies are available or evidence is convincingly presented to suggest that its benefit is marginal.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

The use of a monitoring tool to assess counselling and HIV testing in the public health sector in Malawi.

Scaling up of counselling and HIV testing (VCT) services requires a system of regular monitoring and evaluation. AVCT monitoring tool was developed through a consultative process and used to assess counselling and HIV testing services in 16 government and mission hospitals in Malawi, which had started expanded HIV-TB activities in July 2003. The essential components of theVCT monitoring tool included assessments of: (i) the hospital VCT personnel, in particular the number of counsellors (full-time and part-time) and those trained in and performing whole blood rapid HIV testing; (ii) the hospital laboratory service, in particular the protocols for HIV testing; (iii) the number, structure and function of dedicated VCT rooms; (iv) registers for patients, clients and donors having HIV tests; and (v) the quality of VCT through structured interviews with HIV-positive patients with TB. The main findings were: 9644 patients and clients were HIV tested between July and September 2003; HIV testing protocols were not standardized and differed between hospitals; there was little in the way of external quality assurance and there were deficiencies in the counselling process. In each hospital, the mean time taken to obtain the data and complete theVCT monitoring tool was 3 h. TheVCT monitoring tool is straightforward to use, and the data collected should help to improve standardization, quality and future planning of VCT services in the country.

Community Health Services↗
PubMed2005

Management and outcome of TB suspects admitted to the medical wards of a central hospital in Malawi.

In a study conducted in the medical wards of Lilongwe Central Hospital, Malawi, 84 (18%) of 470 medical admissions were TB suspects. Of these, 21 (25%) had the diagnosis confirmed; the median length of time between admission and starting anti-TB treatment was 10 days. Of the remaining TB suspects, 24 (29%) had another diagnosis made, principally pneumonia, and 39 (46%) had no diagnosis made, with half of these patients dying under investigation in hospital. Improved and more rapid ways of managing TB suspects need to be found.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Micronutrient malnutrition and wasting in adults with pulmonary tuberculosis with and without HIV co-infection in Malawi.

BACKGROUND: Wasting and micronutrient malnutrition have not been well characterized in adults with pulmonary tuberculosis. We hypothesized that micronutrient malnutrition is associated with wasting and higher plasma human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) load in adults with pulmonary tuberculosis. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study involving 579 HIV-positive and 222 HIV-negative adults with pulmonary tuberculosis in Zomba, Malawi, anthropometry, plasma HIV load and plasma micronutrient concentrations (retinol, alpha-tocopherol, carotenoids, zinc, and selenium) were measured. The risk of micronutrient deficiencies was examined at different severity levels of wasting. RESULTS: Body mass index (BMI), plasma retinol, carotenoid and selenium concentrations significantly decreased by increasing tertile of plasma HIV load. There were no significant differences in plasma micronutrient concentrations between HIV-negative individuals and HIV-positive individuals who were in the lowest tertile of plasma HIV load. Plasma vitamin A concentrations <0.70 micromol/L occurred in 61%, and zinc and selenium deficiency occurred in 85% and 87% respectively. Wasting, defined as BMI<18.5 was present in 59% of study participants and was independently associated with a higher risk of low carotenoids, and vitamin A and selenium deficiency. Severe wasting, defined as BMI<16.0 showed the strongest associations with deficiencies in vitamin A, selenium and plasma carotenoids. CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate that wasting and higher HIV load in pulmonary tuberculosis are associated with micronutrient malnutrition.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed2004

Monitoring the response to antiretroviral therapy in resource-poor settings: the Malawi model.

With assistance from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM), Malawi is scaling-up the delivery of antiretroviral (ARV) therapy to HIV-positive eligible patients. The country has developed National ARV Treatment Guidelines, which emphasize a structured and standardized approach for all aspects of ARV delivery, including monitoring and evaluation. Using the successful DOTS model adapted by National TB Control Programmes throughout the world, Malawi has developed a system of quarterly ARV cohort and cumulative ARV quarterly analyses. Thyolo district, in the southern region of Malawi, has been using this system since April 2003. This paper describes the standardized ARV treatment regimens and the treatment outcomes used in Thyolo to assess the impact of treatment, the registration and monitoring systems and how the cohort analyses are carried out. Data are presented for case registration and treatment outcome for the first quarterly cohort (April to June) and the combined cohorts (April to June and July to September). Such quarterly analyses may be useful for districts and Ministries of Health in assessing ARV delivery, although the burden of work involved in calculating the numbers may become large once ARV delivery systems have been established for several years.

Anti-Retroviral Agents↗
PubMed2004

The missing cases of tuberculosis in Malawi: the contribution from cross-border registrations.

Low case detection rates of new smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) patients globally are a cause for concern. The aim of this study was to determine for patients registered for TB in Malawi the number and percentage who lived in a neighbouring country and the registration, recording and reporting practices for these 'foreign' patients. All 44 non-private hospitals, which register and treat all TB patients in the public health sector in Malawi, were visited. Ten (23%) hospitals in 2001 and 14 (32%) in 2002 maintained a separate register for cross-border TB cases. Patients recorded in these registers were not formally reported to the Malawi National TB Programme (NTP), the neighbouring country's NTP, nor to WHO. They therefore constitute missing cases. In Malawi, the number of cross-border new smear-positive PTB cases was 77 in 2001 and 91 in 2002, constituting about 3% of missing smear-positive cases in those hospitals that maintain cross-border registers and about 1% of missing cases nationally.

Humans↗
PubMed2004

Cotrimoxazole prophylaxis reduces mortality in human immunodeficiency virus-positive tuberculosis patients in Karonga District, Malawi.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the impact of cotrimoxazole prophylaxis on the survival of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive tuberculosis (TB) patients. METHODS: A cohort study with a historical comparison group was conducted. End-of-treatment outcomes and 18-month survival were compared between TB patients registered in 1999 and patients registered in 2000 in Karonga District, Malawi. Case ascertainment, treatment and outpatient follow-up were identical in the two years except that in 2000 cotrimoxazole prophylaxis was offered to HIV-positive patients in addition to routine care. The prophylaxis was provided from the time a patient was identified as HIV-positive until 12 months after registration. Analyses were carried out on an intention-to-treat basis for all TB patients, and also separately by HIV status, TB type and certainty of diagnosis. FINDINGS: 355 and 362 TB patients were registered in 1999 and 2000, respectively; 70% were HIV-positive. The overall case fatality rate fell from 37% to 29%, i.e. for every 12.5 TB patients treated, one death was averted. Case fatality rates were unchanged between the two years in HIV-negative patients, but fell in HIV-positive patients from 43% to 24%. The improved survival became apparent after the first 2 months and was maintained beyond the end of treatment. The improvement was most marked in patients with smear-positive TB and others with confirmed TB diagnoses. CONCLUSION: Survival of HIV-positive TB patients improved dramatically with the addition of cotrimoxazole prophylaxis to the treatment regimen. The improvement can be attributed to cotrimoxazole because other factors were unchanged and the survival of HIV-negative patients was not improved. Cotrimoxazole prophylaxis should therefore be added to the routine care of HIV-positive TB patients.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed2003

Voluntary counselling, HIV testing and adjunctive cotrimoxazole reduces mortality in tuberculosis patients in Thyolo, Malawi.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of voluntary counselling, HIV testing and adjunctive cotrimoxazole in reducing mortality in a cohort of tuberculosis (TB) patients registered under routine programme conditions in a rural district of Malawi. DESIGN: 'Before' and 'after' cohort study using historical controls. METHODS: Between 1 July 1999 and 30 June 2000 all TB patients were started on standardized anti-TB treatment, and offered voluntary counselling and HIV testing (VCT). Those found to be HIV-positive were offered cotrimoxazole at a dose of 480 mg twice daily, provided there were no contraindications. Side-effects were monitored clinically. End-of-treatment outcomes in this cohort (intervention group) were compared with a cohort registered between 1 July 1998 and 30 June 1999 in whom VCT and cotrimoxazole was not offered (control group). FINDINGS: A total of 1986 patients was registered in the study: 1061 in the intervention group and 925 in the control cohort. In the intervention group, 1019 (96%) patients were counselled pre-test, 964 (91%) underwent HIV testing and 938 (88%) were counselled post-test. The overall HIV-seroprevalence rate was 77%. A total of 693 patients were given cotrimoxazole of whom 14 (2%) manifested minor dermatological reactions. The adjusted relative risk of death in the intervention group compared with the control group was 0.81 (P < 0.001). The number needed to treat with VCT and adjunctive cotrimoxazole to prevent one death during anti-TB treatment was 12.5. INTERPRETATION: This study shows that VCT and adjunctive cotrimoxazole is feasible, safe and reduces mortality rates in TB patients under routine programme conditions.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗