[Medical emergencies related to HIV/AIDS in tropical zones: a prospective study in Cote d'Ivoire (1999-2000)].

At the beginning of the HIV epidemic, the incidence of the complications considered as emergencies was high in developed countries but with the advent of new therapeutic strategies the frequency of such complications and the associated need for emergency treatment decreased drastically. In developing countries where management resources remain limited, HIV/AIDS patients are still exposed to the risk of serious complications. However few studies have documented exact implication of HIV/AIDS in medical emergencies hospitals in developing countries. The purpose of this prospective study was to describe medical emergencies related to HIV infection in adult patients admitted at Treichvilie University Hospital Center. Evaluation of prevalence was carried out in the infections disease and internal medicine emergency units between May 1999 and January 2000. All patients over the age of 15 years were included after informed consent to undergo pre-testing and HIV serology. A total of 400 patients were recruited including 312 that were HIV positive (78%). Mean patient age of patients was 35 years. The male-to-female sex ratio was 1. The most frequent motives for emergency consultation were deterioration of general condition (62%), diarrhea (39.1%) and cough (20.5%). Illness was chronic in 54% of cases. Physical signs were severe weight lost (84%), fever (50%), pale conjunctivas (29%), respiratory signs (19.2%) and dehydration (19%). The most frequent organic involvement causing admission was digestive (39.7%), neurological (24.4%) and pulmonary (20.5%). No deaths were observed. Most medical emergencies related to the HIV infection in the adult involved opportunistic diseases. They pose a challenge for therapeutic management.