Clinical Profile of People Living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Starting Treatment in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

Abstract

Context: For several decades, the introduction of AntiRetroViral (ARV) has allowed an improvement in the clinical signs of patients, a spectacular reduction in mortality and morbidity, an extension of life and an improvement in the quality of life of many People Living with HIV (PLHIV). Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the clinical profile of PLHIV starting ARV Treatment in Kinshasa in the era of Dolutegravir. Methods: This study is a descriptive cross-sectional study to determine the clinical profile of PLHIV starting ARV treatment in HIV Outpatient Treatment Centers (OTC) in Kinshasa. Thirteen OTC across the city of Kinshasa had been included in the study because of their expertise in the care of PLHIV and their accessibility after a random draw. Clinical data were recorded on worksheets previously tested by the study team. The parameters of interest for the present study were: the clinical state of the patient, the known medical history, and the previous morbidities. Results: 119 patients were included in this study. Sixty-seven patients, or 56.3%, are women, giving a sex ratio of 1.29 in favor of women. The mean age of the patients included is 39.87 12.36 years. The most represented age group is that of 36 to 45 years with 37 patients (31.9%). The average temperature of the patients was 36.69C 0.68C. Forty-nine