Most admissions (82%) were previously on-ART; however, despite a non-significant trend towards an increase in pre-admission CD4 count (250 vs 287.5 cells/mm3, OR 1.02 [0.98–1.06]), nearly 40% of these patients had detectable VL and advanced HIV infection (CD4 cell count < 200 cells/mm3), with ART typically initiated approximately two years after diagnosis. Here, CD4 is linked to HIV infectious disease.