Browsing by Author "Rijal, BP"
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Publication Clinical features of HIV/AIDS and various opportunistic infections in relation to antiretroviral status among HIV seropositive individuals from Central Nepal(Kathmandu University, 2009) Sharma, S; Dhungana, GP; Pokherel, BM; Rijal, BPAbstract Background: So far, antiretroviral therapy is the only effective treatment available to HIV/AIDS patients. Provision of combined package of treatment, care and support service as well as regular assessment of the therapy increases its effectiveness. Objective: The aim of this study was to establish the relationship between antiretroviral therapy status and clinical features/opportunistic infections among HIV seropositive individuals. Materials and methods: This is a cross-sectional study. Study was carried out between October 2007 and May 2008 in 150 HIV patients of Kathmandu, Central Nepal. After taking informed consent pre-structured questionnaire was filled to assess clinical features and specimen were collected to investigate major OIs as per standard microbiological procedure. All the information were entered into SPSS 11.5 system and analysed. Result: Of the 150 patients, 100 (66.7%) were males and 50 (33.3%) were females. The age group 21-30 years was predominant followed by 31-40 years (42%). Significant relationship could be established between intake of ART and cardinal symptoms of HIV/AIDS (χ2 value ranging from 4.11 to 9.34). However, no significant relationship could be established between the intake of ART and distribution of different OIs (χ2 values ranging from 0.15 to 1.6). Conclusion: Antiretroviral therapy was found to effective enough to reduce the clinical features of AIDS. Diagnosis and treatment of opportunistic infections should be routinely done for both groups of patients. Key words: Antiretroviral therapy, CD4 count, HIV/AIDS, NepalPublication Tuberculosis and other clinical presentation of HIV/AIDS in patients with or without undergoing antiretroviral therapy in Kathmandu(Kathmandu University, 2007) Dhungana, GP; Ghimire, P; Sharma, S; Rijal, BPObjectives: To screen tuberculosis (TB) and examine the clinical presentation of AIDS in HIV sero-positive persons. Methods: A Cross-sectional study was designed. One hundred HIV infected persons were randomly selected from different parts of the country visiting Tribhuvan University, Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu and different HIV/AIDS care centres. After taking informed consent, questionnaires were filled and three sputum specimens from each person were collected to investigate tuberculosis by Ziehl-Neelsen staining and culture. Data generated were entered into SPSS 11.5 and relevant statistical tools were applied. Results: Among 100 HIV infected cases, 66 (66%) were males and 34 (34%) were females. Sixty percent of the cases were in the age group of 21-30 years. Majority of them were Smokers (41%), alcoholics (34%), illiterates (54%) and unemployed (59%). Heterosexual activity (51%) was found to be the major risk factor for HIV infection. Of the 100 HIV cases, 23 (23%) were co-infected with tuberculosis of which 18(78%) were sputum smear negative tuberculosis, mostly developed in late stage of HIV infection. Weight loss (54%) and diarrhoea (43%) were the major clinical presentations of AIDS. Antiretro-viral therapy non-receiver were more likely to suffer with various clinical disorders/TB as compared to ARV therapy receiver but the values were statistically insignificant, χ2 values ranging from 0.003 to 2.24, p>0.05. Conclusion: Prevalence of tuberculosis was still high in HIV/AIDS patients, and specifically, sputum smear negative tuberculosis cases constituted the significant proportion, particularly in late stage of HIV infection. Weight loss and diarrhoea were found to be the major clinical presentation of AIDS. Illiterate and unemployed young adults involved in unsafe sexual practice and drug addiction were high risk of acquiring HIV infection. Key words: Clinical features, HIV/AIDS, Kathmandu; Smear Negative Tuberculosis