SPECTRUM OF OPPORTUNISTIC INFECTIONS IN HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS SEROPOSITIVE PATIENTS: A HOSPITAL BASED STUDY

Subhash Chand* and Dr. Ajay Kumar

ABSTRACT

AIDS is characterized by a number of opportunistic infections which are responsible for mortality and morbidity. The spectrum of opportunistic infections is ever-expanding with atypical manifestations becoming increasingly common. The present hospital based study was undertaken to describe the clinical spectrum of opportunistic infections both systemic and cutaneous in HIV infected patients. Aim: To study the spectrum of opportunistic infections in Human Immunodeficiency virus infection. Settings and design: Prospective study. Materials and methods: A prospective study was conducted on 40 symptomatic HIV infected patients admitted in Medicine in patient department at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) Shimla over a period of one year from August 2004 to July 2005. The patients were screened for opportunistic infections and laboratory investigations were done accordingly. Result: Of the 40 symptomatic HIV infected patients, the commonest opportunistic infection found was tuberculosis (50%) followed by oral candidiasis (30%), herpes zoster (5%), oral hairy leukoplekia (2.5%) and cryptosporodium toxoplasma (2.5%). The maximum numbers of patients were in the age group of 31-40 years (47.5%). The Male to female ratio was 3:1. Mean age of the study group was 33.47 (SD 9.577) years. Maximum numbers of male patients were drivers by profession. The most common mode of transmission was heterosexual transmission. Conclusion: The study demonstrates that tuberculosis was the most common opportunistic infection in HIV patients and screening for the tuberculosis should be a norm in the developing nations.

Keywords: Opportunistic infections, Tuberculosis, Human immunedeficiency virus.