Introduction:

In 2021, the mortality of HIV patients in our country showed a decrease compared to the figures reported in the previous five-year period. In more developed countries, chronic non-communicable diseases represent a frequent cause of admission, whereas opportunistic infections have substantially declined. In our setting, there are few data available to describe the characteristics and outcomes of HIV patients admitted to the ICU.

Objective:

To characterize HIV patients admitted to the ICU and identify risk factors associated with higher mortality.

Materials and Methods:

A retrospective, longitudinal, analytical, single-center observational study was conducted between 2015 and 2020. All patients with a diagnosis of HIV before or upon ICU admission were included. Demographic characteristics, patronymic data, comorbidities, prior HIV diagnosis, reason for ICU admission, clinical characteristics, CD4 count, and vital status at ICU discharge, hospital discharge, and at 6 months were recorded.

Results:

Fifty-two patients were included; 67% were male, with a median age of 42 years (34–51). A total of 88% were admitted for medical conditions and 88% for infectious diseases. Neurological pathology accounted for 38% of admissions, and respiratory pathology for 36%. Eighty-three percent had a prior HIV diagnosis, although only 27% were receiving treatment. ICU mortality was 50%, and hospital mortality was 52%. The requirement for vasopressors (OR 11.9 [1.8–77]; p = 0.009) was the only factor independently associated with mortality.

Conclusion:

HIV patients admitted to the ICU are young, mostly with a known diagnosis. Mortality is high, with vasopressor requirement being the factor associated with increased mortality.

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