Stavudine Lamivudine Efavirenz Combination Therapy for Treatment of HIV Infection in Tertiary Care Hospital - A Retrospective Observational Study

Abstract

Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy has transformed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection into a chronic manageable disease. Compliance is the biggest challenge in low and middle income country like India where social and religious agenda play an important role. Efavirenz based HAART is current standard of care in management of HIV infected patients.  The objective of the present study was to know efficacy of combination regimen of stavudine, lamivudine and efavirenz in the treatment of HIV infected individuals and also to assess the compliance of the patients. A retrospective study was conducted in the ART center of CG Hospital, a tertiary care center at Davangere. Data were collected for duration of 12 months (June 2012 to May 2013). Study was carried out after obtaining the permission from institutional ethical committee. We have included patients of all the age groups. For inclusion in the study patients had to be antiretroviral (ARV) naive and receiving their ARV medication that is combination of stavudine lamivudine and efavirenz therapy through the Government HAART Program. Among the 50 patients included CD4 Counts after six months of treatment was 235 cells/mm³ compared to baseline counts of 111 cells/mm³. Likewise an improvement was recorded in Hb% and body weight by approximately 2% and 5 kg. Conclusion shows that in the present study response to CD4 counts, hemoglobin percentage and body weight is significant in six months when compared to baseline with combination of stavudine lamivudine and efavirenz therapy. Thus combination therapy of 2 nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors and 1 non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors improve the survival of the HIV infected patients with less resistance to anti HIV drugs.

Keywords: HAART regimen, CD4 counts, body weight, hemoglobin