[HIV/AIDS infection in Area 11 of Madrid: a panorama from the primary care viewpoint].
OBJECTIVES: To find the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of HIV-positive patients and to study the possible differences between patients attended by primary care teams (PCT) and by the hospital specialist unit (SU). DESIGN: A descriptive cross-sectional study. SETTING: Six PCTs in Villaverde, Usera and Carabanchel (Madrid). PATIENTS: Those infected with HIV and in the morbidity records between January 1992 and January 1995. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: 274 cases were studied. The most important risk practice was being IDU (intravenous drugs user) (80.3%). The most definitive and linked AIDS-related illness was Tuberculosis (39.7%). Patients treated with Zidovudine (or AZT) were monitored by PCTs (p = 0.004), as were those not needing day-hospital treatment (p = 0.0005). CONCLUSIONS: HIV infection in our environment follows the typical clinical and epidemiological pattern of this country: transmitted by IDUs, with its most frequent associated infection being tuberculosis. With the exception of AZT or day-hospital treatment, its clinical and epidemiological features are similar in PCTs and SUs. Information and responsible participation of PCT professionals in caring for HIV-positive patients are the key strategies for guaranteeing the quality of health care delivery.