Tuberculosis: A major cause for hospitalization of HIV/AIDS patients

Abstract

A great deal of attention has focused recently on co-infection with tuberculosis (TB) and human immunodeficiency virus HIV. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of tuberculosis among hospitalized HIV/AIDS patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of five years from April 2000 to May 2005. The study evaluated all hospitalized HIV/AIDS patients who were admitted to a University Hospital in Zahedan. After recording the demographic data and laboratory results, final diagnosis was recorded as the cause of admission. Then all data was analyzed. Twenty-eight cases (59.5%) were treated for tuberculosis. Nineteen cases had pulmonary tuberculosis. Out of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, 12 cases (25.5%) had smear positive pulmonary TB. Nine cases had extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Nine patients were prisoners and Injection Drug Users (IDUs) and smear positive pulmonary TB was seen in four of them. Although, the incidence rate of extrapulmonary tuberculosis and smear negative pulmonary TB in HIV/AIDS patients is more than HIV negative patients, but the present study showed that in endemic area for tuberculosis the prevalence of pulmonary TB, especially smear positive pulmonary TB is still high.