Table 1: Baseline, follow-up characteristics and NNRTI regimen modifications among the 769 patients initiating ART at the Mbabane Government Hospital ART Unit

Characteristics

NVP- based, n (%)

EFV- based, n (%)

p-value

Total

578 (75.2%)

191 (24.8%)

 

Gender

 

 

 

      Female, n (%)

417 (72.2%)

95 (49.7%)

<0.001*

      Male, n (%)

161 (27.9%)

96 (50.3%)

 

 

 

 

 

WHO stage

 

 

 

      II/II, n (%)

259 (47.8%)

80 (44.9%)

 

      III/IV, n (%)

283 (52.2%)

98 (55.1%)

0.5*

CD4 count, median (IQR)

119 (67 - 187)

102 (56 - 171)

0.06

Weight , median (IQR)

62 (55 - 69.5)

60 (55 - 68)

0.67

Age, median (IQR)

35.3 (30.7 - 42.9)

36.9 (32.1 - 43.2)

0.19

 

 

 

 

Regimen

 

 

 

d4T/3TC backbone, n (%)

282 (48.8%)

38 (19.9%)

<0.001*

AZT/3TC backbone, n (%)

296 (51.2%)

153 (80.1%)

 

LTFU, n (%)

90 (15.6%)

42 (22%)

0.04*

Poor regimen tolerability to either NVP or EFV, n (%)

26 (4.5%)

4 (2.1%)

0.16*

 

Reasons for poor regimen durability

 

Contraindication

 

 

 

TB treatment

14

0

 

Drug shortage

2

0

 

 

 

 

 

Toxicity

 

 

 

Raised AST/ALT/hepatitis

4

0

 

CNS disturbances

0

3

 

Gynaecomastia

0

1

 

Lactic acidosis

1

0

 

Rash or hypersensitivity

4

0

 

Treatment failure**

1

0

 

Total modifications

26

4

 

NNRTI, non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor;  NVP-Nevirapine;  EFV-Efavirenz;  d4T-stavudine;  AZT-zidovudine;  3TC-lamuvidine;  LTFU-Loss to follow-up;  TB-tuberculosis;  AST- Aspartate transferase;  ALT- Alanine transferase;  CNS- Central Nervous System.  * Pearson’s Chi-square test used.  Wilcoxon Rank-sum test used. **viral loads were not done routinely but only for patients with clinical suspicion of treatment failure after at least 6 months on treatment.