While direct comparisons of our results with those from the previous UK CHIC analysis in 2004 [7] are difficult, because of the different methodological selleck screening library approaches used, there does appear to have been an improvement in the proportion of individuals with a low CD4 cell count who are commenced on ART. Furthermore, the median time to ART initiation dropped from 0.42 years in 2004 to 0.24 years in 2008. However, despite these positive trends, the proportion of patients who initiated treatment within 6 months following their low CD4 cell count (around 60%) did not change substantially over the study period – one reason for this may be that in earlier years a larger proportion of patients

were presenting with

very low CD4 cell counts [13], triggering a more aggressive management approach. Alternatively, this delay may reflect the fact that it frequently takes more than 6 http://www.selleckchem.com/products/Rapamycin.html months to initiate patients on HAART. One of the main limitations of our study, as with most HIV-infected cohorts, is a lack of information on any declined offers of treatment, or the reasons why patients declined treatment when it was indicated. Several CD4 cell count-based predictors for more rapid initiation of ART were identified including a lower first CD4 measurement, a lower average CD4 count, a lower CD4 percentage, a greater number of CD4 counts < 350 cells/μL and having a more rapidly declining CD4 count. These factors are likely to reflect patient choice – patients with a lower or more rapidly declining CD4 cell count may be more concerned about their health and may be more amenable to starting ART. However, there are many well-documented reasons for a patient to decline ART (e.g. [14]), many of which cannot be captured within a routine clinic database. Given the fact that most clinicians who participate in UK CHIC are actively involved in the development of treatment guidelines, it is unlikely that any are

unaware of existing guidelines. However, the decision to start may be influenced by any prejudices that the clinician holds, particularly regarding the urgency Lepirudin to take action if a patient’s CD4 count is only just below 350 cells/μL. Interestingly, although the current guidelines recommend treatment for all individuals with a CD4 count < 350 cells/μL, regardless of CD4 percentage or viral load, patients and clinicians also take account of these markers when making the decision to initiate HAART, reflecting their greater prominence in earlier guidelines. When the baseline characteristics of the population were analysed, independent predictors for starting ART were found to include older age and being female heterosexual, whereas IDUs and patients of unknown ethnicity were less likely to commence treatment. These characteristics have also been identified in previous studies [15-17] and may reflect a combination of patient and clinician biases.