High HIV seroprevalence and increased HIV-associated mortality among hospitalized patients with deep bacterial infections in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

OBJECTIVES

To correlate deep bacterial infections with HIV infection and evaluate the influence of HIV on clinical picture and outcome in patients with meningitis, pneumonia or pyomyositis.

DESIGN

Case-control comparison of HIV seroprevalence between patients and an age- and sex-matched control group in a prospective cross-sectional study of hospitalized patients.

PARTICIPANTS

One hundred and sixty-five patients admitted to hospital with either purulent meningitis, pneumonia or pyomyositis and 165 age- and sex-matched controls from orthopaedic/trauma wards.

SETTING

University Hospital, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Differences in HIV seroprevalence and mortality.

RESULTS

Of 78 patients with purulent meningitis, 19 (24%) were HIV-seropositive, compared with 13 (17%) in the control group (P = 0.345). Of 36 patients with meningitis seen before a meningococcal epidemic affected Dar es Salaam, there was a statistically significant association with HIV infection (P = 0.013). Ten out of 19 (53%) HIV-seropositives died, compared with nine out of 59 (15%) seronegatives (P = 0.028). Of patients with pneumococcal meningitis, five out of six (83%) seropositives died, compared with two out of 12 (17%) seronegatives (P = 0.013). Fifteen out of 45 (33%) patients with pneumonia were HIV-seropositive, compared with four (9%) in the control group (P = 0.001). There was no difference in mortality between seropositive and seronegative patients with pneumonia. HIV seroprevalence was 62% among 42 patients with pyomyositis and 12% among 42 controls (P less than 0.0001). Eighteen out of 25 (72%) seropositive patients with pyomyositis fulfilled the World Health Organization (WHO) clinical case definition for AIDS. Response to recommended antibiotic treatment was satisfactory among patients with pneumonia and pyomyositis.

CONCLUSIONS

These results show a strong association between pyomyositis, pneumonia and HIV infection. They also indicate an increased mortality associated with HIV infection in patients with pyogenic meningitis, especially pneumococcal meningitis. Pyomyositis should be considered an indicator of stage III HIV disease in the proposed WHO clinical staging system.