Research Article

Delayed Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Initiation among Hospitalized Adults in a Resource-Limited Settings: A Challenge to the Global Target of ART for 90 of HIV-Infected Individuals

Table 3

Reasons for delayed initiation of cART among HIV-infected cART-naïve adults hospitalized at Mulago hospital.

Reason for not initiating cART in 2 weeks of eligibilityFrequency N=195
n (%)

Referral systems
Period of preparation for cART initiation >2weeks54 (27.7)
Did not honor referral date given51 (26.1)
Review date given more than 2 weeks after discharge16 (8.2)
Told CD4 above 200mg/µl9 (4.7)
Attending OPD clinic not integrated with cART3 (1.5)
Given wrong clinic day1 (0.5)
Advanced disease considered too weak to initiate cART
Patient readmitted18 (9.2)
Very sick & being treated for opportunistic infection18 (9.2)
Very sick and weak to start cART12 (6.1)
Patient taken to village gave up on life5 (2.5)
Patient social support
No social support7 (3.6)
Feared drug reaction1 (0.5)