Cost Effectiveness of Treating Asymptomatic HIV Infection
Authors: John D. Hamilton, Michael S. Simberkoff, Pamela M. Hartigan
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1991)

Letters15 October 1991Cost Effectiveness of Treating Asymptomatic HIV InfectionJohn D. Hamilton, MD, Michael S. Simberkoff, MD, Pamela M. Hartigan, PhDJohn D. Hamilton, MDSearch for more papers by this author, Michael S. Simberkoff, MDSearch for more papers by this author, Pamela M. Hartigan, PhDSearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-115-8-655 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptTo the editors: We read with interest the article by Schulman and colleagues (1). Our major concern about their method is the use of data on time to progression to the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) to make statements about survival. This is an extraordinarily important variable for which almost no data exist. They draw from the randomized AIDS Clinical Trial Group Protocol 019, which had only eight deaths, four in the placebo-treated group and four in the zidovudine-treated group (2).Zidovudine prolongs survival in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients once they progress to AIDS or to AIDS-related complex (3-5). It...References1. SchulmanLynnGlickEisenberg KLHJ. Cost effectiveness of low-dose zidovudine therapy for asymptomatic patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Ann Intern Med. 1991;114:798-802. LinkGoogle Scholar2. VolberdingLagakosKoch PSM. Zidovudine in asymptomatic human immunodeficiency virus infection: a controlled trial in persons with fewer than 500 CD4-positive cells per cubic millimeter. N Engl J Med. 1990;322:941-9. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. FischlRichmanGrieco MDM. The efficacy of azidothymidine (AZT) in the treatment of patients with AIDS and AIDS-related complex. N Engl J Med. 1987;317:185-91. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. LempPayneNeal GSD. Survival trends for patients with AIDS. JAMA. 1990;263:402-6. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. MooreHidalgoSuglandChaisson RJBR. Zidovudine and the natural history of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. N Engl J Med. 1991;324:1412-6. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar1. SchulmanLynnGlickEisenberg KLHJ. Cost effectiveness of low-dose zidovudine therapy for asymptomatic patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Ann Intern Med. 1991;114:798-802. LinkGoogle Scholar2. VolberdingLagakosKoch PSM. Zidovudine in asymptomatic human immunodeficiency virus infection: a controlled trial in persons with fewer than 500 CD4-positive cells per cubic millimeter: the AIDS Clinical Trials Group of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. N Engl J Med. 1990;322:941-9. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: The Veterans Affairs Cooperative Study Group on Treatment of AIDS Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center Durham, NC 27705 PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics 15 October 1991Volume 115, Issue 8Page: 655-656KeywordsAIDSAIDS related complexClinical trialsHIVHIV infections Issue Published: 15 October 1991 PDF DownloadLoading ...