Adverse Drug Reactions to HAART and Associated Risk Factors among Patients Living with HIV or AIDS in Makurdi, North Central, Nigeria - Abstract
Background: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection seems to take a lead in terms of notoriety among other viruses apart from Ebola which gained notoriety due to its epidemic in the year 2014 and the current COVID-19 pandemic. Its treatment using Highly Active Anti-retroviral Therapy (HAART) brought hope to the affected people, reducing mortality and improving the quality of life of People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). However, has been attributed with development of Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs), limiting its success. This study analyzed the various types of ADRs associated with HAART and their risk factors in Makurdi.
Method: A prospective observational study carried out between October, 2019 and March, 2020 at Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Makurdi. A total of 210 naïve adult HIV positive patients were enrolled, their data and information obtained via personal interview using questionnaires and clinical records. Result: The majority of the patients were female (68.6%) in the age group between 15-44 years. Most of the respondents had at least secondary school education. 22 patients developed ADRs. More female patients (72.70%) developed ADRs than their male (27.3%) counterparts. Peripheral neuropathy and insomnia were the commonest reported ADRs (18.8% each). The least reported ADRs were CNS and GIT related ADRs such as hallucination and vomiting (4.55% each).Most of the respondents that developed ADRs were those on TDF/3TC/EFV (72.72%) and AZT/3TC/NVP (13.64%) regimen when compared with the number of patients on the various regimens. Prevalence of 10.18% was recorded. Age and type of drug regimen are the major risk factors for ADRs to HAART (p-value<0.05). Conclusion: ADRs occur in PLWHA on HAART, with Peripheral neuropathy and Insomnia being the commonest. They are more in the older patients and those on Nevirapine and Efavirenz based regimens. The introduction and use of new ARVs such as Dolutegravir should be encouraged since they have decreased the serious adverse effects associated with the older ones.