Publication: Tuberculosis and other clinical presentation of HIV/AIDS in patients with or without undergoing antiretroviral therapy in Kathmandu
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Date
2007
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Kathmandu University
Abstract
Objectives: 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
Description
Dhungana GP1, Ghimire P1, Sharma S 2, Rijal BP 21Central Department of Microbiology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal, 2Tribhuvan University, Teaching
Hospital, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal