Left ventricular systolic function in Nigerian children infected with HIV/AIDS: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Cardiac complications contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality in children with HIV/AIDS. These rates have been under-reported in sub-Saharan African children. METHODS: This was an observational, cross-sectional Doppler echocardiographic study of ventricular systolic function, performed at a tertiary clinic on children with HIV/AIDS. RESULTS: Left ventricular systolic dysfunction was present in 27.0% of the children with HIV infection and 81.2% of those with AIDS. The mean fractional shortening in the AIDS group (31.6 ± 9.5%) was significantly lower than in the HIV-infected group (35.3 ± 10.5%, p = 0.001). A significant correlation was found with CD4+ cell count and age, and these were the best predictors of left ventricular systolic dysfunction in the stepwise multiple regression analysis (r = 0.396, p = 0.038; r = –0.212, p = 0.025, respectively). CONCLUSION: Left ventricular systolic dysfunction is common in Nigerian children with HIV/AIDS.