BACKGROUND: In Africa without antiretroviral treatment more than half of the HIV infected children die by 2 years. The recommended HIV virological testing for early infant diagnosis is not widely available in developing countries therefore a presumptive diagnosis is made in infants presenting with symptoms suggestive of HIV disease. OBJECTIVES: To identify presenting signs and symptoms predictive of HIV infection in hospitalized children aged between 2- 18 months at Harare Hospital, Zimbabwe. METHODS: In a cross sectional study the baseline clinical information was collected and HIV infection confirmed using DNA PCR. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify significant predictors of symptomatic HIV infection. Diagnostic parameters (sensitivity, specificity) and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated. RESULTS: 355 children with an overall median age of 6 months (IQR: 3, 10.5 months) of whom 203 (57.2%) were HIV DNA PCR positive. Clinical signs independently predictive of HIV infection were cyanosis, generalized lymphadenopathy, oral thrush, weight for age z-score <-2 and splenomegaly. The sensitivity of these signs ranged from 43-49% with a higher specificity (ranging from 72.3-89.5%). CONCLUSION: Clinical identification using individual signs for probable HIV infection in hospitalized children below 18 months would provide an opportunity for early diagnosis, treatment.
BACKGROUND: In Africa without antiretroviral treatment more than half of the HIV infectedchildren die by 2 years. The recommended HIV virological testing for early infant diagnosis is not widely available in developing countries therefore a presumptive diagnosis is made in infants presenting with symptoms suggestive of HIV disease. OBJECTIVES: To identify presenting signs and symptoms predictive of HIV infection in hospitalized children aged between 2- 18 months at Harare Hospital, Zimbabwe. METHODS: In a cross sectional study the baseline clinical information was collected and HIV infection confirmed using DNA PCR. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify significant predictors of symptomatic HIV infection. Diagnostic parameters (sensitivity, specificity) and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated. RESULTS: 355 children with an overall median age of 6 months (IQR: 3, 10.5 months) of whom 203 (57.2%) were HIV DNA PCR positive. Clinical signs independently predictive of HIV infection were cyanosis, generalized lymphadenopathy, oral thrush, weight for age z-score <-2 and splenomegaly. The sensitivity of these signs ranged from 43-49% with a higher specificity (ranging from 72.3-89.5%). CONCLUSION: Clinical identification using individual signs for probable HIV infection in hospitalized children below 18 months would provide an opportunity for early diagnosis, treatment.
Entities:
Keywords:
HIV; clinical predictors; hospitalized children
Authors: P Bakaki; J Kayita; J E Moura Machado; J B Coulter; D Tindyebwa; C M Ndugwa; C A Hart Journal: J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr Date: 2001-09-01 Impact factor: 3.731
Authors: Cécile Alexandra Peltier; Christine Omes; Patrick Cyaga Ndimubanzi; Gilles François Ndayisaba; Sara Stulac; Vic Arendt; Olivier Courteille; Narcisse Muganga; Kizito Kayumba; Jef Van den Ende Journal: PLoS One Date: 2009-04-24 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Robert D Nuoh; Kofi M Nyarko; Charles L Noora; Adolphina Addo-Lartey; Priscillia Nortey; Culbert Nuolabong; Margaret Lartey; Ernest Kenu Journal: Ghana Med J Date: 2020-06
Authors: J J Ong; K Coulthard; C Quinn; M J Tang; T Huynh; M S Jamil; R Baggaley; C Johnson Journal: Curr HIV/AIDS Rep Date: 2022-02-11 Impact factor: 5.071