Loss to follow-up in an international, multicentre observational study

TY - JOUR

T1 - Loss to follow-up in an international, multicentre observational study

AU - Mocroft, A

AU - Kirk, O

AU - Aldins, P

AU - Chies, A

AU - Blaxhult, A

AU - Chentsova, N

AU - Vetter, N

AU - Dabis, F

AU - Gatell, J

AU - Lundgren, J D

AU - Eurosida Study Group

N1 - Keywords: Adult; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Europe; Female; Follow-Up Studies; HIV Infections; HIV-1; Humans; Incidence; Male; Regression Analysis; Viral Load

PY - 2008

Y1 - 2008

N2 - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this work was to assess loss to follow-up (LTFU) in EuroSIDA, an international multicentre observational cohort study. METHODS: LTFU was defined as no follow-up visit, CD4 cell count measurement or viral load measurement after 1 January 2006. Poisson regression was used to describe factors related to LTFU. RESULTS: The incidence of LTFU in 12 304 patients was 3.72 per 100 person-years of follow-up [95% confidence interval (CI) 3.58-3.86; 2712 LTFU] and varied among countries from 0.67 to 13.35. After adjustment, older patients, those with higher CD4 cell counts, and those who had started combination antiretroviral therapy all had lower incidences of LTFU, while injecting drug users had a higher incidence of LTFU. Compared with patients from Southern Europe and Argentina, patients from Eastern Europe had over a twofold increased incidence of LTFU after adjustment (incidence rate ratio 2.16; 95% CI 1.84-2.53; P<0.0001). A total of 2743 patients had a period of >1 year with no CD4 cell count or viral load measured during the year; 743 (27.1%) subsequently returned to follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Some patients thought to be LTFU may have died, and efforts should be made to ascertain vital status wherever possible. A significant proportion of patients who have a year with no follow-up visit, CD4 cell count measurement or viral load measurement subsequently return to follow-up.

AB - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this work was to assess loss to follow-up (LTFU) in EuroSIDA, an international multicentre observational cohort study. METHODS: LTFU was defined as no follow-up visit, CD4 cell count measurement or viral load measurement after 1 January 2006. Poisson regression was used to describe factors related to LTFU. RESULTS: The incidence of LTFU in 12 304 patients was 3.72 per 100 person-years of follow-up [95% confidence interval (CI) 3.58-3.86; 2712 LTFU] and varied among countries from 0.67 to 13.35. After adjustment, older patients, those with higher CD4 cell counts, and those who had started combination antiretroviral therapy all had lower incidences of LTFU, while injecting drug users had a higher incidence of LTFU. Compared with patients from Southern Europe and Argentina, patients from Eastern Europe had over a twofold increased incidence of LTFU after adjustment (incidence rate ratio 2.16; 95% CI 1.84-2.53; P<0.0001). A total of 2743 patients had a period of >1 year with no CD4 cell count or viral load measured during the year; 743 (27.1%) subsequently returned to follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Some patients thought to be LTFU may have died, and efforts should be made to ascertain vital status wherever possible. A significant proportion of patients who have a year with no follow-up visit, CD4 cell count measurement or viral load measurement subsequently return to follow-up.

U2 - 10.1111/j.1468-1293.2008.00557.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1468-1293.2008.00557.x

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 18400074

SN - 1464-2662

VL - 9

SP - 261

EP - 269

JO - HIV Medicine

JF - HIV Medicine

IS - 5

ER -