A clinico-epidemiological study of AIDS cases in Delhi.
Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. C10677)
Chatterjee A, Aggarwal OP, Chhabra P University College of Medical Sciences, Delhi, India
BACKGROUND- Delhi, the capital of India is still facing a low level AIDS epidemic even though India has the second largest number of persons living with HIV/AIDS in the world. This study was conducted to determine the epidemiological characteristics, clinical presentation and pattern of opportunistic infections of AIDS cases in Delhi. METHODS- All the cases of AIDS visiting the Medicine department of R.M.L.Hospital, in Delhi between April to December 2000 were interviewed and a complete workup done to diagnose the opportunistic infections. The latest definition for AIDS case surveillance as formulated by National AIDS Control Organization of India was used to diagnose the cases. A total of 102 cases were studied. RESULTS- 77.45% of the cases were males and 22.55% were females. 72.55% had acquired infection through heterosexual sex and 15.69% through unsafe blood transfusion. The commonest risk factors present were multi-partner sex and history of STDs. Only 8 cases had undergone voluntary counseling and testing for HIV and 33.80% of the ever married cases had not got their spouses tested for HIV. Only 58% had been tested for HIV within six months of developing symptoms. The commonest presenting symptoms of AIDS were chronic fever(86.27%), weight loss(66.67%) and chronic diarrhoea in 42.15% of the cases. Respiratory symptoms were seen in 50.98% of the cases. Oropharyngeal candidiasis diagnosed clinically was the commonest opportunistic infection followed by tuberculosis. Multiple opportunistic infections were seen in all the AIDS cases and 45% had been hospitalized more than once for their AIDS related illnesses. 39% had not heard about HIV or AIDS before being diagnosed. CONCLUSIONS - Greater coordination is needed between the Tuberculosis and AIDS control programs in Delhi. Awareness about AIDS is still lacking and Delhi may well become the epicenter of the AIDS epidemic in Northern India.
Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV Infections, Risk Factors, Epidemiologic Studies, HIV Seropositivity, Tuberculosis, India, HIV Seroprevalence, Cross-Sectional Studies, Human, Female, Male
