Original article
English
Abdunnabi Ahmed Rayes ¹, Suhir Al-Hooni ²
1-Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Fateh University, 2-Department of Infectious Diseases, Tripoli Medical Centre, Tripoli, Libya
JMJ Vol.8, No.2 (Summer) 2008:126-131
Abstract
Background: HIV infection is becoming more common in Libya. Tuberculosis and Pneumocystis jeroveci pneumonia (PCP) are common opportunistic infections (OIs). Purposes: To define the main OIs and mortality rate in HIV positive patients. Methodology: We revised the files of 90 patients admitted in the period between January and November, 2004, to the Infectious Disease Department, Tripoli Medical Centre (TMC). The diagnosis of HIV infection was made by ELISA and confirmed by Western blot and /or PCR. We studied the clinical diagnosis and the laboratory results like the haemogram, liver function test and the status of infection with hepatitis B and hepatitis C. The diagnosis of OIs was confirmed by adequate response to empirical treatment and/or by the radiological picture. Results: All of the patients, except 2, were men. All of them, except 6 (7%), were Libyans. Their ages ranged from 15-65 years. The main risk factor for HIV infection was drug abuse (93%). 76% tested positive for HCV and 19% for HBV. Eleven patients (12%) were having both infections. Anaemia, leucopoenia and thrombocytopenia were diagnosed in 94%, 40% and 50% of the patients, respectively. Tuberculosis was diagnosed in 33 cases (37%). It was extrapulmonary in 52% of them. PCP, toxoplasma encephalitis and meningitis were diagnosed in 20%, 10% and 4% of the patients, respectively. The mortality rate was 66%. Conclusions: In our series, HIV infection was mainly caused by drug abuse. The main OI is TB followed by PCP. The high mortality is attributed mainly to the late presentation.
Keywords: HIV, Morbidity, Mortality, Opportunistic infections.
Link/DOI: http://www.jmj.org.ly/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1471