A Trial of Same-Day Testing and Treatment to Improve Outcomes Among Symptomatic Patients Newly Diagnosed With HIV

This study is a randomized trial that will compare outcomes with standard and same-day treatment among patients with TB symptoms at HIV diagnosis. The standard group will receive same-day chest x-ray as well as Xpert Ultra testing with a spot specimen (with 48-hour turn-around-time). Participants will return for Xpert Ultra results and early morning sputum testing on Day 2. TB treatment will be provided on the day of diagnosis (Day 0 for those with high clinical and radiographic suspicion of TB, and Day 2 for those diagnosed by spot Xpert Ultra). Standard group participants who are not diagnosed with TB will be tested and treated for other opportunistic infections (OIs), as clinically indicated, and will initiate ART on Day 7. The same-day group will receive Xpert Ultra testing (with same-day results) and chest x-ray with same-day ART or TB treatment (on Day 0) based on test results. They will also be tested and treated for other OIs as clinically indicated. They will provide early morning sputum for repeat testing on Day 1. Both groups will receive Xpert Ultra testing on both spot and early morning specimens, with liquid culture on both specimens as the diagnostic gold standard; those with TB will start ART according to WHO guidelines.

Three specific aims are proposed:

Aim 1: To compare the proportion of participants in each group who are alive and in care with undetectable viral load (<200 copies/ml) at 48 weeks after HIV testing. Hypothesis: The proportion of participants retained in care with undetectable viral load will be 51% in the standard and 65% in the same-day group.

Aim 2: To compare mortality in each group at 48 weeks after HIV testing. Hypothesis: Mortality will be 10% in the standard group and 4% in the same-day group.

Aim 3: To conduct a comparison of cost and cost-effectiveness of standard and same-day care, where cost is measured by the mean treatment cost and effectiveness is measured by being alive and in care with plasma HIV-1 RNA level <200 copies/ml at 48 weeks after HIV testing. Hypothesis: Same-day treatment will cost less per patient retained in care with undetectable viral load.

Aim 4: To determine the rates of ART and TB treatment initiation, TB diagnosis after ART initiation, IRIS, adverse events, and adherence in both groups, and to evaluate the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of single tests and different testing combinations compared to liquid mycobacterial culture results.

Inclusion criteria

• Men and women of ≥18 years of age
• Presence of cough, fever, night sweats or weight loss
• Ability and willingness to give written informed consent
• Documentation of positive HIV status (test conducted at GHESKIO)
• Acceptance of HIV diagnosis, defined as affirmative responses to two questions: "I believe that HIV and AIDS exist" and "I believe that the results of my HIV test show that I am infected".

Exclusion criteria

• Any use of ART in the past
• Treatment for TB in the year prior to screening visit
• Pregnancy or breastfeeding at the screening visit
• Active drug, alcohol use, or mental condition that would interfere with the ability to adhere to study requirements, in the opinion of the study physician
• Score of <3 for any of the 7 questions on the ART readiness survey
• Planning to transfer care to another clinic during the study period
• Symptoms consistent with WHO stage 4 neurologic disease (cryptococcal meningitis, TB meningitis; central nervous system toxoplasmosis; HIV encephalopathy; progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy)
• Severe illness, classified as one of the WHO "danger signs" of temperature >39 degrees Celsius, pulse >120 beats/minutes, respiratory rate >30, or inability to walk unaided.