Absolute CD4 Count in Patients with HIV at Initial Presentation to Care in a Michigan Clinic, 2005-2009

INTRODUCTION: Saint Mary\u27s Special Immunology Services (SMSIS) is a clinic that specializes in the care of patients with HIV/AIDS. New patients undergo a complete medical history and physical examination, including obtaining blood to determine initial CD4 cell count and plasma HIV viral load. Laboratory measurement of CD4 lymphocytes at entry to HIV care has shown to be a good predictor of disease progression in HIV patients. Concurrent diagnosis in patients with CDC-defined AIDS at presentation to care is often due to late diagnosis or late presentation for treatment. This emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis of HIV infection and linkage to care. A variety of factors, including age, gender, and opportunistic infection diagnosis, affect when patients get tested and when they present for care. The demographic and clinical features of patients presenting to care for the first time at SMSIS will be characterized in order to recognize trends in this cohort and assist the clinic providers to set targeted goals for future prevention and treatment efforts. METHODS: Eligible patients presented to HIV care for the first time between January 2005 and December 2009. Patients were identified from SMSIS charting records, and 23 separate data points were recorded by the principal investigator from the patient\u27s chart. Standard descriptive statistics will be calculated. Patients with absolute CD4 count greater than 200 cells/mm3 will be compared to patients with absolute CD4 cell count less than 200 cells/mm3 using t-tests for continuous variables and Chi-square tests for categorical variables