HOSPITAL-CARE FOR PATIENTS WITH AIDS - DIFFERENCES TO OTHER MEDICAL PATIENTS - PARTICULARITIES OF CARE OF AIDS PATIENTS

One hundred eleven patients with AIDS admitted to the Geneva University Hospital from 1981 to 1988 were matched with other patients admitted the same day to the same hospital services. Patients with AIDS required a mean of 56 days of inpatient care during 2.4 admissions (controls : 27 days during 2.18 admissions). Patients with AIDS were more anxious, perhaps because mortality was 18% per admission for AIDS patients compared to 10 % for controls, although AIDS patients were younger (mean of 35 versus 61 years). The chief organ systems involved were the respiratory system (44.5% of AIDS patients versus 37.6 % of controls), nervous system (25.3% versus 11%) and skin (9.3% versus 2.8%), whereas cardiovascular problems were more frequent in controls. Brain computerized tomography, gastrointestinal and bronchial endoscopy, blood cultures and lumbar puncture were all performed more frequently in AIDS patients than in controls.