Prevalence Of HIV In Patients Research Articles

Prevalence and Characteristics of HIV-Associated Stroke in a Tertiary Hospital Setting in South Africa.

Antiretroviral treatment (ART) era HIV-associated stroke data from sub-Saharan Africa are limited. We determined the prevalence of HIV in patients presenting with acute symptomatic stroke and compared risk factors, clinical characteristics, and brain imaging with age-matched stroke patients without HIV. We conducted a retrospective study of adults presenting with any type of stroke to Tygerberg Hospital in a 12-month period. Patients living with HIV (PLWH) and HIV-uninfected (HIV-) patients were matched based on age group (1:2 ratio). Patients were identified by keyword search, while HIV status was ascertained from laboratory data. Clinical and imaging data were extracted from medical records. Among 884 patients presenting with acute strokes, the minimum prevalence of HIV infection was 9.3% (95% CI: 7.4%-11.2%), with 496 patients (56.1%) with negative HIV status and 306 patients with unknown HIV status (34.6%). The mean age at presentation in PLWH was 46 (±11) years compared with 55 (±14) years in HIV- patients (p < 0.001). Smoking was less prevalent in PLWH with an adjusted relative risk ratio of RR = 0.58 (95% CI: 0.39-0.86). Concurrent infection was more prevalent in PLWH (25.6% vs 4.9%, p ≤ 0.001) with an adjusted relative risk ratio of RR = 2.07 (95% CI: 1.49-2.84), largely in patients with a CD4 count <200 cells/μL. PLWH with higher CD4 counts (≥200 cells/μL, 51.3%) had more traditional risk factors and less concurrent infection. Among PLWH, 68.3% were on ART, and 39.3% of them had been started or restarted on ART within the past 6 months. Basal ganglia infarcts (35.6% vs 18.3%, p = 0.014) and multiple vascular territory involvement (25.4% vs 7.7%, p = 0.002) were more common in PLWH. Clinical presentation, ischemic stroke type, and in-hospital outcomes did not differ between the groups. Stroke patients with HIV were younger, had less traditional cardiovascular risk factors, and more concurrent infections than patients without HIV, especially those with a lower CD4 count. Recent ART initiation or reinitiation rates were high. Significant differences in CT brain imaging findings were seen. Understanding the multifactorial mechanisms underlying increased stroke risk, including associated infections and potential ART-associated immune reconstitution, is crucial and needs further study.

PREVALENCE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF HIV-ASSOCIATED STROKE IN A TERTIARY HOSPITAL SETTING IN SOUTH AFRICA

Background and AimsAntiretroviral treatment (ART) era HIV-associated stroke data from Sub-Saharan Africa is limited. We determined the prevalence of HIV in patients presenting with acute symptomatic stroke; and compared risk factors, clinical characteristics, and brain imaging with age-matched stroke patients without HIV. MethodsWe conducted a retrospective study of adults presenting with any type of stroke to a South African tertiary hospital in a 12-month period. Patients living with HIV (PLWH) and HIV-uninfected patients (HIV-) were matched on age group (1:2 ratio). ResultsTheacute stroke prevalence of HIV infection was 9.3% (95%CI: 7.4-11.2%) among 884 stroke patients. Mean age at presentation in PLWH was 46 (±11) years compared to 55 (±14) years in HIV- (p<0.001). Hypertension (p=0.011) and dyslipidaemia (p=0.005) were less prevalent in PLWH. Concurrent infection was more prevalent in PLWH (p=<0.001), largely in patients with low CD4 counts. PLWH with higher CD4 counts had traditional risk factors and less concurrent infection. Among PLWH, 39.3% had been started / restarted on ART within 6-months. Basal ganglia infarcts (p=0.014) and multiple vascular territory involvement (p=0.002) was more common in PLWH. Clinical presentation, ischaemic stroke type, and in-hospital outcomes did not differ between groups. ConclusionStroke patients with HIV were younger, had less traditional cardiovascular risk factors, and more concurrent infections than patients without HIV when CD4 count was low. Recent ART initiation or reinitiation rates were high. Significant differences in CT brain imaging findings were seen. Understanding the multifactorial mechanisms underlying increased stroke risk in this population is crucial.

The 12-month period prevalence and cardiac manifestations of HIV in patients with acute coronary syndrome at a tertiary hospital in Cape Town, South Africa: a retrospective cross-sectional study

BackgroundHIV-positive patients are increasingly being affected by non-communicable diseases such as coronary artery disease (CAD). Data from high-income countries (HICs) indicate that HIV-positive patients have different risk-factor profiles for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) as well as different cardiac manifestations of this syndrome compared to HIV-negative patients. There is limited data from Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and particularly from South Africa with the biggest HIV epidemic in the world. The objective of this study was to determine the 12-month period prevalence of HIV in patients with ACS and to compare the risk-factor profile, ACS presentation and management between HIV-positive and HIV-negative adults.MethodsWe included all patients hospitalised with ACS from 01 January to 31 December 2018 in a tertiary hospital, Tygerberg Hospital, in Cape Town, South Africa. The HIV-status of all patients was determined using routine clinical records. We performed multiple conditional logistic regression on HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients (1:3 ratio) to compare the risk factor profile, ACS presentation and management between the groups.ResultsAmong 889 patients, 30 (3.4%) were HIV-positive (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.3–4.8). HIV-positive patients were younger, more frequently men, and had a lower prevalence of medical comorbidities and a family history of CAD. They were more likely to present with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) [odd’s ratio (OR) (95% CI): 3.12 (1.2–8.4)], and have single-vessel disease [OR (95% CI): 3.03 (1.2–8.0)]. Angiographic and echocardiographic data, as well as management, did not differ between the groups. Among HIV-positive patients, 17 (65%) were virally suppressed (HIV viral load < 200 copies/mL) with a median CD4+ count of 271 cells/mm3. The majority (20, 67%) of HIV-positive patients were receiving antiretroviral therapy at the time of the ACS.ConclusionsWe found an HIV-prevalence of 3.4% (95% CI 2.3–4.8) in adults with ACS in a high endemic HIV region. HIV-positive patients were younger and more likely to present with STEMIs and single-vessel disease, but had fewer CAD risk factors, suggesting additional mechanisms for the development of ACS.

Increasing routine HIV testing in low and medium secure forensic settings

AimsThere remain a number of barriers to patients taking HIV tests, and prevalence of HIV in patients with severe mental illness can be higher than those without. Patients in forensic settings may be at even greater risk. National standards state that in areas of high and extremely high prevalence of HIV, testing should be offered routinely on admission to hospital. A review of compliance with these standards took place across low and medium secure male forensic wards in West London, followed by implementation of targeted interventions to increase testing rates. A reaudit was later completed to assess if changes had resulted in lasting effectsMethodA retrospective review of computer records took place to identify all inpatients residing on the low and medium secure wards on the day of data collection. Their pathology records were checked to ascertain if HIV test results were available. If no test was documented here, then patient psychiatric records were searched for documentation of the test being offered.After the initial audit, education of patients and staff regarding the benefits of HIV testing took place, HIV testing was incorporated into primary healthcare routine admission screening and separate consent forms were eradicated.The reaudit took place with data collection occurring in an identical manner.Result183 patients were initially identified across 5 low and 7 medium secure male wards, and 184 on reaudit. The initial audit found that only 30.6% (56/183) of patients had either been offered an HIV test or had a result recorded on the pathology system, but this rose to 82.6% (154/184) on reaudit. After the interventions, 43.4% of all patients had HIV test results available, compared to 23.5% initially. Even where no test result existed, the number of tests offered rose from 7.1% to 39.1% of all patients.ConclusionThis study shows that simple measures to normalise HIV testing and make it part of routine admission screening had dramatic implications for the number of patients being offered an HIV test.There is still room for improvement, however, with 17.4% of patients having neither test results available, nor documentation that a test was offered. This could be a result of poor general engagement with health care services, and would benefit from thorough documentation and assertive outreach.

Increased HIV in Greater Kinshasa Urban Health Zones: Democratic Republic of Congo (2017\u20132018)

BackgroundDiagnosis of people living with HIV (PLHIV) is the first step toward achieving the new Fast Track Strategy to end AIDS by 2030: 95-95-95. However, reaching PLHIV is especially difficult in resource-limited settings such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where reliable prevalence data is lacking. This study evaluated the prevalence of HIV in patients in the urban Kinshasa area.MethodsIndividuals seeking healthcare were tested for HIV between February 2017 and July 2018 at existing Kinshasa urban clinics. The study was conducted in two phases. Case finding was optimized in a pilot study phase using a modified cell phone-based Open\\Data Kit (ODK) collection system. HIV prevalence was then determined from data obtained between March–July of 2018 from 8320 individuals over the age of 18 years receiving care at one of 47 clinics in Kinshasa.ResultsThe prevalence of HIV in our study was 11.0% (95% CI 10.3–11.6%) overall and 8.14% in the subset of N = 1240 participants who were healthy mothers seeking prenatal care. These results are in sharp contrast to President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) estimates of 2.86%, but are consistent with data from surrounding countries.ConclusionWhile this data is sub-national and reflects an urban healthcare setting, given the large population of Kinshasa and rapidly changing age demographics, the results suggest that HIV prevalence in the DRC is substantially higher than previously reported.

Prevalence of HIV in Patients with Malignancy and of Malignancy in HIV Patients in a Tertiary Care Center from North India.

Background and Objectives: People living with HIV/AIDS are at an increased risk of de-veloping cancer. The goals of this study were to obtain data on the prevalence of HIV in the cancer population and vice versa at a major tertiary cancer and HIV center in North India.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted over a 3-year period from July 2013 to June 2016, wherein successive HIV positive patients from an anti-retroviral therapy (ART) center were screened for malignancy. Simultaneously, successive cancer patients at the cancer center were screened for HIV. Baseline demographic details, risk factors, and laboratory investigations were ob-tained for all the patients.Results: Among the 999 HIV-positive patients at the ART center, the prevalence of malignancy was 2% (n=20; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.13, 2.87). Among the 998 patients with a malignancy, the prevalence of HIV infection was 0.9% (n=9; 95% CI 0.31, 1.49). Weight loss, loss of appetite, and fever were the most common symptoms in patients with HIV and cancer. Among 29 patients with HIV and cancer, AIDS-defining cancer was found in 19 patients; non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma was the most common malignancy reported (n=13).Interpretation and Conclusion: There is a low prevalence of HIV in cancer patients as well as a low prevalence of cancer in HIV patients. AIDS-defining cancers remain much more common than non-AIDS-defining cancers. With the increased coverage of ART, it is expected that non-AIDS-defining cancers will increase, as is evident from data from more developed countries.

HIV Seropositivity among Patients Presenting with Herpes Zoster Infection

Background: Skin manifestations are usually the first presentation in HIV infection. Most common of these manifestations is herpes zoster. This study was carried out to determine HIV seroprevalence in patients with herpes zoster and to identify factors that may affect its prevalence. Methods: 40 patients were included in the study after clinical confirmation of herpes zoster. Every patient was interviewed privately to assess demographic, social and medical information. Data were obtained with high confidentiality. Blood samples were collected and tested for presence of antibodies against HIV.Khartoum. Results: Out of the 40 patients screened, 6 (15%) were found HIV seropositive, with significant association in patients with previous herpes zoster attack, history of traveling to endemic areas and sexually transmitted infections. Conclusion: We found high prevalence of HIV in patients with herpes zoster. These results may indicate the need for early screening of herpes zoster patients to facilitate better management of HIV infection.

The changing pattern of ano-rectal cancer, squamous cell carcinoma of the eye, and Hodgkin's lymphoma as non-AIDS-defining cancers, by HIV status, in Tanzania over 11years (2002-2012): a retrospective case-report study.

BackgroundIn Tanzania, 5.1% of adults aged 15-49 are infected with HIV. While rates of HIV-related malignancies have declined globally with antiretroviral therapy (ART), including Tanzania, rates of non-AIDS-defining cancers (NADCs) are believed to have increased. Therefore, we determined trends of three NADCs in Tanzania: ano-rectal cancer, squamous cell carcinoma of the eye, and Hodgkin’s lymphoma.MethodsThis study was conducted at the Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI) in Dar es Salaam. All medical records of patients diagnosed with ano-rectal cancer, squamous cell carcinoma of the eye, and Hodgkin’s lymphoma between 2002 and 2012 were reviewed regarding HIV status, cancer clinical characteristics and management. Analysis was conducted to determine trends and proportions in these three NADCs and patient characteristics.ResultsWe identified 980 NADCs. The relative proportion of these three NADCs at ORCI out of all cancers treated increased from 2.37% in 2002 to a peak of 4.34% in 2009. The prevalence of HIV in patients diagnosed with these NADCs also increased—from 6.67% in 2002 to 20.87% in 2010—and 85% of squamous cell carcinoma of the eye cancer patients with a reported HIV status were HIV-positive.ConclusionsThe frequency and proportions of these three NADCs in Tanzania have increased over the past 11 years, as has the prevalence of HIV positivity amongst these NADC patients. The current and possibly increasing burden of NADCs in Tanzania and other low- and middle-income countries with high HIV rates should be a focus for future cancer prevention and control and HIV therapy programs.

Chest Radiographic Patterns of Smear Positive Tuberculosis in Relation to HIV: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Population with a High Burden of HIV and Tuberculosis

Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the chest radiographic patterns of smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients in relation to HIV co-infection. Study Deign: Cross-sectional descriptive study Place and Duration of the Study: The study was conducted at Gondar University hospital between May 2004‐December 2007. Methodology: We studied chest radiographs of 207 (128 HIV negative and 79 HIV positive) consecutive sputum smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients according to the standard classification. Mean and percentages/ proportions were used for descriptive analysis. Chi square test was used to measure association. Results: The prevalence of HIV in patients with smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis was 38.2%. The most common chest radiographic patterns were fibronodular (83.1%), cavity (60.4%), lobar consolidation (49.8%), and brochopnemonic consolidation (9.2%). Lymphadenopthy and pleural effusion were more common in HIV co infected patients

P3.111 The Prevalence of HIV in Male Sex Workers in London (2002 – 2012)

BackgroundThe prevalence of HIV in the UK is increasing steadily, particularly in higher-risk populations. Male sex-workers (MSW) are a particularly vulnerable group, often engaging in high-risk sexual activities with multiple...

Treatment of HIV in Outpatients with Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder and Bipolar Disease at Two County Clinics

Despite a high prevalence of HIV in patients with serious mental health disorders, there is little information in the literature regarding details of their HIV treatment. The objective of this paper is to assess factors associated with the success of HIV therapy in people with schizophrenia, schizoaffective, and bipolar disease. The methods used are retrospective, post-study chart review, and clinician questionnaire at two HIV county clinics. Forty-nine (4.8%) study patients were identified, 51% of whom achieved an undetectable HIV viral load. These patients tended to have less drug use (42% vs. 68%), more ongoing psychiatric visits (70% vs. 58%) and were more apt to take psychiatric medicines (70% vs. 40%) than patients with detectable HIV viral loads. Both groups had many missed appointments. We were surprised to find that many patients were successful with HIV treatment despite substance abuse, uncontrolled psychiatric symptoms, and lack of psychiatric care. Missing clinic appointments had little influence on treatment outcome.

HIV infection in the elderly

The prevalence of HIV in patients over the age of 50 years is increasing. Although older patients may achieve equal or better virologic suppression at equal rates compared with younger patients, the immunologic benefit of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in older patients may be reduced compared with younger patients. Comorbidities are more common in older patients than younger patients and can impact management of HIV in these patients. Providers must be cognizant of drug-drug interactions and side effects of HAART regimens when selecting an antiretroviral regimen in older HIV patients. As the HIV-infected population ages, there is a growing need to better determine the ideal HAART regimen and timing of HAART initiation in older patients.

Prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus infection in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis at the National Chest Hospital in Jamaica

This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus-type 1 (HIV-1) infection in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis at the National Chest Hospital in Jamaica. This retrospective study reviewed the hospital records of 537 patients admitted over a seven-year period from 1995 to 2001. We used a standardized data collection form to obtain data for sociodemographic characteristics, clinical features, signs and symptoms, laboratory diagnosis, treatment and outcome. We found that 11.6% (47/406) of the patients who met the inclusion criteria and were diagnosed as having pulmonary tuberculosis were HIV-1 seropositive. Most HIV-positive patients with tuberculosis were males, and prevalence of HIV coinfection among patients with tuberculosis was highest in patients aged 30-39 years. The mortality rate in patients with tuberculosis and HIV infection was 23.4% (11/47) compared to 3.9% (14/359; P = 0.001) in HIV-negative patients. Patients were treated with standard quadruple drug therapy. No multiple drug resistance was noted in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates. The prevalence of HIV in patients with tuberculosis in Jamaica is similar to that in other developing countries, but the mortality rate is higher and this warrants prompt diagnosis of HIV infection and early institution of highly active antiretroviral therapy.

Impact of HIV on tuberculosis in Zambia: a cross sectional study.

To examine the contribution of HIV infection to the apparently increasing incidence of tuberculosis in central Africa. Cross sectional study. Outpatient clinic in teaching hospital, Lusaka, Zambia. 346 Adult patients with tuberculosis. Overall, 206 patients (60%; 95% confidence interval 54% to 65%) were positive for HIV: in one or both assays used. The peaks for both tuberculosis and HIV infection were among men aged 25-34 years and women aged 14-24 years. Of patients with confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis, 73/149 (49%; 41% to 57%) were positive for HIV; 67/83 (81%; 70% to 89%) patients with pleural disease and 16/19 (84%; 60% to 97%) patients with pericardial disease were positive. HIV positive patients with positive sputum culture were less likely to have had a positive sputum smear, and their chest x ray films less often showed classic upper zone disease or cavitation. Of 72 patients who fulfilled clinical criteria for AIDS, 17 were negative for HIV. The high prevalence of HIV in patients with tuberculosis suggests that an epidemic of reactivating tuberculosis is arising in those who are infected with HIV. The redirection of public health priorities towards tuberculosis would focus on a major treatable and preventable complication of the AIDS epidemic.