Epidemiology and Hospital Course of Patients With Acute Salpingitis and Coincident HIV

Objective: To compare the epidemiology and hospital course of patients with acute salpingitis with and without coincident human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seropositivity. Methods: Patients admitted to the UMDNJ-University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey from January 1, 1991, to December 31, 1991, with acute salpingitis were studied. Results: Eight percent of all hospitalized patients with acute salpingitis were HIV-positive. The mean age of the HIV-negative group was 25.4 compared with 29.6 years in the HIV-positive group. Gonorrhea and chlamydia were present in 49% and 22%, respectively, in HIV-negatives and in 40% and 20% of HIV-positives. Two of 5 (40%) HIV-positive patients had tuboovarian abscesses compared with 12 of 59 (20%) HIV-negative patients. Three of 5 (60%) HIV-positive patients had admission WBC counts fewer than 10,000/mm(3) compared to 6 of 59 (12%) of HIV-negatives (P = 0.024). The hospital stay was 5.4 days for HIV-positives and 5.8 days for HIV-negatives. Conclusions: Eight percent of hospitalized patients with acute salpingitis were HIV-seropositive. Neisseria gonorrhoeae and chlamydia were commonly found organisms in both groups. The initial WBC count was lower for HIV-positive patients. The hospital course of both groups was similar.