Clinical profile of patients newly diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus [abstract]

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Comprehensive medical examination of newly presenting patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is important to establish health status and stage disease progession. This study was conducted to determine the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of persons newly diagnosed with HIV presenting a primary care clinic for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). METHODS: A retrospective analysis of the medical records of 125 patients (aged 13 years and over) was undertaken over a 12-month period. All patients were serologically confirmed positive for HIV. Information abstracted included socio-demographic factors, presenting complaints and medical examination findings. The EPI Info 6 software was used for data entry and analysis. RESULTS: Most patients (64 percent) were between 20 and 39 years old (range 14-68 years; MF= 11.4). Five percent were homosexuals/bisexuals. Sixty-five per cent used a condom less than half the time and 10 percent never used condoms. Males were more likely than females to have had multiple sex partners during the last three months (p= 0.01). Initial assessment revealed that 53 percent were asymptomatic, 24 percent symptomatic and 21 percent had AIDS at time of presentation. The most common presentation was generalised by lymphadenopathy (67 percent), which was significantly higher than skin rash (27 percent), oral candidiasis (24 percent), cough (24 percent), weight loss (24 percent), and pallor of mucous membranes (19 percent. p< 0.001). Co-infection with syphilis occurred in five percent of patients. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms that young people continue to account for the majority of cases of newly diagnosed HIV infection. Heterosexual mode of transmission predominates and women are disapropriately affected. HIV infection should be considered as a differential in patients who have persistent generalized lymphadenopathy and other risk factors. (AU)