Abstrakt
Persistent diarrhoea contributes 20% of diarrhoeal disease burden and 30-50% of its 17% contribution to under-five deaths in developing countries. HIV infection increases the incidence and severity of all childhood diseases, including diarrhoea, and persistent/chronic diarrhoea is one of its presenting features. This study sought to determine the role of HIV seropositivity in persistent diarrhoeal disease morbidity in children managed at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) from January 1997 to March 2003. This was a retrospective study of all paediatric persistent diarrhoeal cases with known HIV serostatus who were managed at UPTH. Data extracted from their case records included the bio data, presentation, management and outcome of the index episode. EPI Info version 6.04 was used for data entry and analysis. Ninety-nine children, comprising 44.4% HIV positive and 55.6% negative; 57.6% males and 42.4% females, were studied out of which 87.9% were aged 0-23 months. HIV seropositivity was significantly associated with increased duration of diarrhoea, (p<0.007 and the presence of severe wasting, tuberculosis, chronic cough, lymphadenopathy and higher mortality. Persistent diarrhoea-related morbidity and mortality were significantly increased by the co-existence of HIV seropositivity. It is therefore needful not to only scale-up control programmes for both conditions but also to improve their management.
Keywords: Persistent diarrhoea, HIV infection, child survival
Résumé
La diarrhée persistante contribue à 20% des cas de diarrhée et 30-50% des 17% de contributions de décès des moins de 5 ans dans les pays développés. L’infection du VIH accroît l’incidence et la sévérité de toutes les maladies de l’enfance inclus la diarrhée persistante et chronique. Cette étude cherche à déterminer le rôle de la séropositivité au VIH su l a diarrhée persistante sur les enfants
suivi au centre universitaire hospitalier de port Harcourt de janvier 1997 à Mars 2003.C’etait une rétrospective des cas de diarrhée persistante en pédiatrie avec le statut de VIH vu a UPTH. Les données personnelles, à la présentation et les résultats des examens étaient extraites des registres de l’épisode indexé. Quatre -vingt dix neuf enfants compris 44.4% des VIH positif et 55.6% négatif. Il y avaient 57.6% des males et 52.4% des femelles étaient étudiés sur lesquels 87.9% étaient âgés de 0-23 ans. Les séropositifs avaient significativement une association avec une augmentation de la durée de la diarrhée (P<0.05), la présence de perte sévère, de la tuberculose, de la toux chronique, lymphadénopathie et de plus de décès. La diarrhée persistante liée à la souffrance et la mortalité était augmentée par la co-existence du VIH séropositif. Il est donc nécessaire non seulement d’accroître les programmes de contrôle pour ces conditions mais aussi d’améliorer leurs soins.
Correspondence: Dr. Alice R. Nte, Department of Paediatrics, Universty of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospita, PMB 6173, Port Harcourt, Email: alicernte@yahoo.com
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