HIV-Infected Patients Presenting Late to Care: A Challenge Not Only in the U.S.

Late presentation to HIV care (i.e., presenting with a CD4 count <350 cells/mm³ or an AIDS-defining illness within 6 months of HIV diagnosis) affects healthcare negatively on many levels: Individual patients have higher risks for complications and death, public health risk for viral transmission is greater, and the economic effect on society of caring for patients is more pronounced. To evaluate late presentation to HIV care in Europe, researchers analyzed data collected between 2000 and 2011 from 23 cohorts in 35 countries participating in the Collaboration of Observational HIV Epidemiological Research Europe (COHERE) study. Among 84,524 patients included in the analysis, 45,488 (54%) were late presenters, 60% of whom were late presenters …