Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29509588›Full record

ArticleJournal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999)2018

A Prospective Evaluation of a Multisite Cryptococcal Screening and Treatment Program in HIV Clinics in Uganda.

Elizabeth Nalintya, David B Meya, Sarah Lofgren, Kathy Huppler Hullsiek, David R Boulware, Radha Rajasingham

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999), 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 31 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
31citing papers in PubMed
3.1field-weighted citation impact, top 8% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

31 citing papers in PubMed, 39 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Trial
  3. Clinical Impact and Cost-Effectiveness of Improving Access to Cryptococcal Meningitis Diagnostics and Treatment in Malawi.Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 2026
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Review
  12. Cryptococcal meningitis.Nature reviews. Disease primers · 2023
    Review
  13. Article
  14. Review
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Elizabeth Nalintya
David B Meya
Sarah Lofgren
Kathy Huppler Hullsiek
David R Boulware
Radha Rajasingham
University of Minnesota · USInfectious Diseases Institute · UGMakerere University · UG

Funding

University of Minnesota Clinical and Translational Science Institute (UMN CTSI)UL1TR000114 · NCATS · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · PI BLAZAR, BRUCE R · 2012 to 2015
$35.0M
Operational Research for Cryptococcal Antigen Screening (ORCAS) of HIV PatientsU01AI125003 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · PI BOULWARE, DAVID R, MEYA, DAVID BISAGAYA · 2016 to 2020
$3.4M
Evaluation of CRAG screening with enhanced antifungal therapy for asymptomatic CRAG-positive personsK23AI138851 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · PI RAJASINGHAM, RADHA · 2018 to 2022
$954k
NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR000114NIAID NIH HHS K23 AI138851NIAID NIH HHS U01 AI125003
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCryptococcus is a leading cause of AIDS-related mortality. Cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) is detectable in blood before meningitis onset and predicts death. CrAg screening among those with advanced HIV, and treatment of those CrAg+ with fluconazole, has demonstrated survival benefit. However, implementation and widespread uptake have been slow outside clinical trials.

methodsWe designed a CrAg screening program for routine care that incorporated intensive education and training of clinic staff. We evaluated programmatic implementation, including time to initiation of fluconazole, time to initiation of antiretroviral therapy, and 6-month clinical outcomes.

resultsBetween December 2015 and January 2017, 1440 persons were screened at 11 HIV clinics in Kampala, and CRAG+ prevalence was 6.5% (n = 94/1440) among adults with a CD4 <100 cells/µL. Of those CrAg+, 7 of 94 persons (7%) died or were lost before further clinic evaluation. Fifty-three persons (56%) were asymptomatic and had 6-month survival of 87% (46/53). Of CrAg+ persons, 28% (26/94) were symptomatic at the time of clinic return. Most had confirmed cryptococcal meningitis, and 54% (14/26) of the symptomatic CrAg+ persons were dead or lost at 6 months. Of the 7 symptomatic persons who declined lumbar puncture for further evaluation, all were dead or lost by 6 months.

conclusionAll asymptomatic CrAg+ persons identified by our screening program who returned to clinic, initated fluconazole and antiretroviral therapy in a timely manner. Despite this, 27% of CrAg+ (asymptomatic and symptomatic) identified on routine screening were dead or lost to follow-up at 6 months, even with preemptive therapy for those asymptomatic, and standard amphotericin-based treatment for meningitis.

Indexed as

AdultAntifungal AgentsAntigens, FungalAsymptomatic DiseasesCD4 Lymphocyte CountCryptococcosisCryptococcusDrug Administration ScheduleFemaleFluconazoleHIV InfectionsHumansMaleMass ScreeningMeningitis, CryptococcalPrevalenceAntifungal AgentsAntigens, FungalFluconazole

Identifiers

PMID29509588
PMCPMC5953806
OpenAlexW2790982980

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.