Prevalence, Profile and Treatment Outcome of Tuberculosis-Human Immunodeficiency Virus Co-Infection in South Eastern Nigeria: A 3-Year Retrospective Study.

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) and the Human Immune Deficiency Virus (HIV) represent major public health challenges and are intricately linked to each other. This is more prevalent in the sub-Saharan African region, where about 80% of this co-infection is recorded. This study aimed to review the prevalence, profile, and treatment outcome of TB-HIV co-infected patients. A hospital-based retrospective study was conducted in a tertiary center in southeast Nigeria for the period 2015-2017. Information elicited from participant's medical records included socio-demographic profile (age, sex, residential area, and occupation), Cluster of Differentiation 4 (CD4) count level at the time of diagnosis of co-infection, weight, treatment outcome, as well as the record of the number of TB patients who presented within this same period. The total number of TB/HIV co-infected patients who participated in the study during this period was 207, with a prevalence of TB/HIV co-infection of 33.9%. The highest proportion of cases was recorded among participants within the age group of 31-40, and the cases of co-infection were more common in males (58.9%) and students (27.5%). The results also showed a significant relationship between gender, occupation, residential area, and TB/HIV co-infection. Most of the co-infected participants had a CD4 count of <300 cells/mm3 and an associated poor treatment outcome of 41.1%. TB/HIV co-infection needs to be properly addressed, and screening for HIV among TB patients should be a priority. This will help in early diagnosis and subsequently improve the treatment outcome of both diseases.