Mortality Among HIV-Infected Drug Users in China's Methadone Maintenance System

Mortality is high among HIV-infected clients, especially those receiving lower methadone doses and those who started antiretroviral therapy at lower CD4-cell counts.

Methadone maintenance systems provide a scaffolding of infrastructure, personnel, and longitudinal monitoring that could enhance provision of HIV services for HIV-infected drug users. Yet the promise of completely integrated methadone and HIV services has been largely unrealized, creating missed public health opportunities.

Using data from the Chinese National HIV/AIDS Information System, researchers examined mortality rates among HIV-infected and uninfected individuals enrolled in China's methadone maintenance system between March 2004 and April 2011. The overall mortality rate was 11.8 per 1000 person-years. Clients who received <75 mg/day of methadone had an increased risk for death, regardless of HIV status. Mortality was higher for HIV-…

Reviewing Author

Joseph D Tucker, MD, MA

Mortality Among HIV-Infected Drug Users in China's Methadone Maintenance System

Topics

Reviewing Author