Relationship Between Drug Resistance and Death in HIV-Infected Patients Receiving Antiretroviral Therapy — 7 PLADs, China, 2010−2019

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS TOPIC? With increasing coverage of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV-infected patients, more and more attention has been paid to the impact of HIV drug resistance on death in those patients in China. WHAT IS ADDED BY THIS REPORT? Among HIV-infected patients receiving ART, the risk of death is higher in patients with HIV drug resistance [adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=4.25, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.10–8.62], with viral load ≥1,000 copies/mL but drug resistance untested (AOR=4.65, 95% CI: 1.74–12.39), and with neither viral load nor drug resistance being tested (AOR=17.52, 95% CI: 8.73–35.19) when compared with drug-sensitive patients. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTICE? It is important to strengthen drug resistance monitoring and prevention in HIV-infected patients. While performing ART for HIV-infected patients, viral load testing and drug resistance testing should be carried out routinely and promptly.