Abstract

ACOSTA,, Mariolga Bravo; MENDEZ,, Dilia Martínez  and  SOLORZANO,, Paola Vélez. Tuberculosis and other causes of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients with HIV/AIDS. Salud(i)Ciencia [online]. 2023, vol.25, n.5, pp.265-269.  Epub Oct 05, 2023. ISSN 1667-8682.  http://dx.doi.org/10.21840/siic/172873.

Introduction: Unlike what has been described in developed countries where chronic non-communicable diseases are reported as the cause of hospitalization in patients with HIV, in this study the main cause of hospital admission and death were opportunistic infections, particularly tuberculosis similar to what was reported in other low-income countries in the Americas and West Africa even with the availability of antiretroviral therapy. Aim: The most frequent causes of hospital morbidity and mortality in patients with HIV were determined. Material and methods: The demographic, clinical, and laboratory data of patients admitted with a diagnosis of HIV for one year in a Guayaquil General Hospital were analyzed. Results: Of 151 patients, 76% were male with an average age of 37 years old. 56.3% knew the diagnosis of HIV infection. The main cause of hospitalization and death were AIDS-defining diseases where the meningeal forms: cryptococcosis, toxoplasmosis, syphilis and leukoencephalopathy together follow tuberculosis, and 93.5% of the deceased had a CD4 count of fewer than 200 cells/ mm3 (p = 0.007). Conclusion: Similar to what was reported in young adult patients with HIV in low-income countries, opportunistic infections were the main cause of hospitalization and death, related to severe immunosuppression, advanced stages of the disease, and without antiretroviral therapy. The results reinforce the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of HIV infection and the prophylaxis of preventable opportunistic infections.

Keywords : CD4 count; opportunistic infections; antiretroviral therapy; tuberculosis; HIV.

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