Comparison of zidovudine combination and tenofovir combination on the effectiveness of therapy and side effects in HIV/AIDS patients in rsal mintohardjo

Objectives: Tenofovir-based therapy is a newly adopted first-line HIV/AIDS therapy regimen in Indonesia that is replacing the stavudine-based regimen. However, zidovudine-based regimens remain the first-line therapy for patients with HIV/AIDS. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness and incidence of adverse effects with hemoglobin (Hb) in both zidovudine- and tenofovir-based regimens in HIV/AIDS patients at Mintohardjo Hospital. Methods: We used a cross-sectional comparative research design. The data analyzed were medical records of all HIV/AIDS patients treated through 2015. Results: The sample included 75 patients in the zidovudine group and 53 patients in the tenofovir group. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests indicated that both combinations of therapy were effective in improving CD4+ cells. Initial CD4+ cell counts ≤ 200 cells/mm³ were 4.55 times better at increasing CD4+ cell counts when compared with an initial CD4+ > 200 cells/mm³. Chi-square results showed that both treatment combinations affected the decrease in Hb. Patients using the zidovudine combination had 4.59 times greater risk for a Hb decrease compared with the tenofovir combination. Conclusions: Zidovudine- and tenofovir-based regimens had similar effectiveness in increasing CD4+ cell counts, but the tendency to cause anemia in tenofovir-based regimens was less than that of the zidovudine-based regimens.