[The clinico-epidemiological aspects of HIV infection in 167 children nonmaternally infected who have died with a diagnosis of AIDS].

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and epidemiological particularity of pediatrics nosocomial HIV infection. Our study group consists of 167 HIV serum-positive nonmaternally infected children who died of AIDS in 1990-1997 (inclusive) in Colentina Hospital of Infections Diseases--Bucharest. Fifty per cent of institutionalized children and 28% of family children died in the first two years of life. About 80% of children were revealed too late as HIV infected. It has been observed a relatively high prevalence values for: multiple or recurrent pneumonia--74.8%, recurrent or chronic diarrhea--87.4%, encephalopathy--65.8%, weight-growth deficiency--100%, disseminated or extrapulmonary tuberculosis--13.8%, HBsAg carriage--59.8%; and low prevalence values for: lymphoid interstitial pneumonia--16.5%, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia--11.4%, cytomegalovirus diseases--1.8%, cryptosporidiosis--1.8%. The evolution of HIV infection (weight-growth deficiency and encephalopathy) were aggravated in hospitalised children (especially, in the first two years of life). Nutrition and hygiene care factors positively influence the evolution of HIV infection. Multiple or recurrent pneumonia are out of an important prognostic value in the appreciation of SIDA evolution. The incidence and severity of tuberculosis increased at older children. The too late diagnostic of HIV infection had unfavourable influence upon the life expectancy of children.