Current trends in opportunistic infections in children living with HIV/AIDS in a tertiary care hospital in Northern India

Gaurav Dhaka, BL Sherwal, Sonal Saxena, Yogita Rai, Jagdish ChandraIndian Journal of Sexually Transmitted Diseases and AIDS 2017 38(2):142-146 Introduction: A prospective cohort study was undertaken from November 2010 to March 2012 at Kalawati Saran Children's Hospital (KSCH), Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC), New Delhi. The study included all HIV positive children aged between 0-15 years that were registered in the anti-retroviral therapy (ART) centre during the study period. HIV +ve children enrolled at the ART centre were started on ART on the basis of CD4counts (National/NACO guidelines). Materials and Methods: Various samples were collected from the patients depending on their presenting complaints as per the standard protocols. These included stool, sputum, gastric aspirate, urine, blood, pus and CSF. All the samples were processed in the microbiology laboratory as per the standard techniques. Majority of children presented to the hospital with respiratory system involvement. Fever with cough was the presenting symptom in around half of all the children suggesting involvement of upper and/or lower respiratory tract. Diarrhea and protein energy malnutrition (PEM) were the next most common findings. Clinical presentations more suggestive of HIV (e.g. generalized lymphadenopathy, mucocutaneous lesions, oral thrush etc.) were less commonly the presenting complaints. Results: OIs are still a major health hazard in children living with HIV/AIDS. The...
Source: Indian Journal of Sexually Transmitted Diseases - Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Source Type: research