Survival time of patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome: experience with 274 patients in Dar-es-Salaam.

To determine the survival time once acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) has developed, we analysed case records of 274 patients confirmed to have died of the disease. Of the 274 patients 193 were males and 81 females (M:F 2:1). The duration of symptoms ranged from a few weeks to two years but over 70% had apparently enjoyed good health until 2-3 months before diagnosis. Weight loss, severe weakness, chronic diarrhoea, prolonged fevers and oro-pharyngeal candidosis were the commonest features. Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) was the presenting feature in 2 (0.7%) patients. Frequent concurrent illnesses included tuberculosis (19%), unspecified (23%) and skin lesions other than KS (24%). In 31 (11.3%) patients no concurrent illness was detected. The survival after one week was 63.5% and 7.5% at the end of three months. These results indicate that due to a combination of factors survival of AIDS patients in developing countries is much shorter than in developed countries.