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Randomised, placebo‐controlled trial to evaluate co‐trimoxazole to reduce mortality and morbidity in HIV‐infected post‐natal women in Zambia (TOPAZ)
Author(s) -
Nunn Andrew J.,
Mwaba Peter B.,
Chintu Chifumbe,
Crook Angela M.,
Darbyshire Janet H.,
Ahmed Yusuf,
Zumla Alimuddin I.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
tropical medicine and international health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.056
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 1365-3156
pISSN - 1360-2276
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3156.2011.02731.x
Subject(s) - medicine , placebo , randomized controlled trial , adverse effect , trimethoprim , pediatrics , surgery , antibiotics , alternative medicine , pathology , biology , microbiology and biotechnology
Summary Objective To evaluate the role of prophylactic trimethoprim‐sulfamethoxazole (co‐trimoxazole) antibacterial prophylaxis in reducing morbidity and mortality in HIV‐infected post‐natal women in southern Africa. Methods Double‐blind placebo‐controlled trial. HIV‐infected women with WHO stage 2 or 3 HIV disease who had recently delivered in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia were randomised to receive daily co‐trimoxazole (cotox) or matched placebo daily for the duration of the trial. Participants were followed up for a minimum of 1 year. Primary outcome measures were mortality from any cause or hospital admission and serious adverse events. Results Of 600 women randomised, follow‐up information was available from 355 (180 cotox, 175 placebo) participants. Thirty‐six (17 cotox, 19 placebo) women died during the trial, and another 11 (5 cotox, 6 placebo) were admitted to hospital. There was no significant difference in the combined event rates between the two treatment arms: HR = 0.82, 95% CI (0.46, 1.45), P = 0.49; morbidity was reduced over a range of symptoms. Secondary analyses of the outcome in babies indicated some evidence of reduced mortality in those whose mothers were allocated cotox. Conclusions Follow‐up rates were poor; there was no evidence that co‐trimoxazole prophylaxis reduced mortality or hospital admission rates, although fewer symptoms were reported in the cotox arm. Cotox was safe and well tolerated.