Stroke outcomes in Malawi, a country with high prevalence of HIV: a prospective follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: Stroke contributes significantly to disability and mortality in developing countries yet little is known about the determinants of stroke outcomes in such countries. 12% of Malawian adults have HIV/AIDS. It is not known whether having HIV-infection alters the outcome of stroke. The aim of this study was to document the functional outcome and mortality at 1 year of first-ever acute stroke in Malawi. Also to find out if the baseline variables, including HIV-infection, affect the outcome of stroke. METHODS AND FINDINGS: 147 adult patients with first-ever acute stroke were prospectively followed up for 12 months. Conventional risk factors and HIV-infection were assessed at baseline. Stroke severity was evaluated with modified National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (mNIHSS) and functional outcome with modified Rankin scale (mRS). Fifty (34%) of patients were HIV-seropositive. 53.4% of patients had a poor outcome (severe disability or death, mRS 4-6) at 1 year. Poor outcome was related to stroke severity and female gender but not to presence of HIV-infection. HIV-seropositive patients were younger and had less often common risk factors for stroke. They suffer more often ischemic stroke than HIV-seronegative patients. CONCLUSIONS: Mild stroke and male gender were associated with favourable outcome. HIV-infection is common in stroke patients in Malawi but does not worsen the outcome of stroke. However, it may be a risk factor for ischemic stroke for young people, who do not have the common stroke risk factors. Our results are significant, because stroke outcome in HIV-seropositive patients has not been studied before in a setting such as ours, with very limited resources and a high prevalence of HIV.

Etiology of suspected pneumonia in adults admitted to a high-dependency unit in Blantyre, Malawi.

The microbiologic etiology of severe pneumonia in hospitalized patients is rarely known in sub-Saharan Africa. Through a comprehensive diagnostic work-up, we aimed to identify the causative agent in severely ill patients with a clinical picture of pneumonia admitted to a high-dependency unit. A final diagnosis was made and categorized as confirmed or probable by using predefined criteria. Fifty-one patients were recruited (45% females), with a mean age of 35 years (range = 17-88 years), of whom 11(22%) died. Forty-eight (94%) of the patients were seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus; 14 (29%) of these patients were receiving antiretroviral treatment. Final diagnoses were bacterial pneumonia (29%), Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (27%), pulmonary tuberculosis (22%), and pulmonary Kaposi's sarcoma (16%); 39 (77%) of these cases were confirmed cases. Fifteen (29%) patients had multiple isolates. At least 3 of 11 viral-positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were attributed clinical relevance. No atypical bacterial organisms were found.

A survey of the management, control, and complications of diabetes mellitus in patients attending a diabetes clinic in Blantyre, Malawi, an area of high HIV prevalence.

The aim of this study was to describe the current status of diabetes care in an urban diabetes clinic in Malawi and the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in this population, investigating possible associations between HIV and diabetes. A systematic prospective survey of patients attending the diabetes clinic at a teaching hospital in Blantyre, Malawi was conducted. Six hundred twenty patients were assessed. Seventy-four percent had glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1C) > 7.5%. Systolic blood pressure was > 140 mm Hg in 52% of patients. Hypertension was more common in patients with raised creatinine (P < 0.003), retinopathy (P = 0.01), and stroke (P < 0.0002). Microvascular complication rates were high, specifically nephropathy (34.7%), retinopathy (34.7%), and neuropathy (46.4%). HIV seroprevalence was 13.7%. HIV-positive subjects had a lower body mass index (BMI) and lower fasting blood sugar, and they were more likely to have albuminuria (48.0% versus 33.3%; P < 0.05). Control of glycemia and hypertension were poor, and microvascular complications were common. Nephropathy in diabetic patients may be affected by HIV status.