Background: To analyze the evolution of AIDS mortality and survival in Barcelona, Spain.
Patients and methods: AIDS-cases registered in Barcelona (Spain) between 1981-1997. Study of mortality and survival probability.
Results: Mortality decreased by 55% between 1996-1997. Survival probability at 547 days was of 80.3% in 1997 compared with 48.6% before 1988. Being older than 36 years old, IVDU, having other AIDS-defining disease than tuberculosis, and year of diagnostic before 1997 were associated with poor survival.
Conclusions: AIDS mortality in Barcelona has enormously decreased. The best survival in 1997 is probably attributable to the new antiretroviral therapies.