Types and prevalence of HIV-related opportunistic infections/conditions among HIV-positive patients attending Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya

BACKGROUND: Although antiretroviral therapy (ART) has resulted in significant decrease in opportunistic infections (OIs), OIs continue to cause significant morbidity and mortality among HIV patients. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and types of HIV/AIDS-related OIs among patients attending Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) in Nairobi, Kenya. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from May to August 2010 among patients ≥19 years. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographic factors, HIV and OIs. CD4 data were extracted from clinical records. RESULTS: Most patients (72%) had lived with HIV for ≤ 5 years and 78.8% had an OI. The 3 most common OIs were TB (35%), Herpes Zoster (HZ; 15.4%) and oral thrush (OT; 8%). Years of HIV infection significantly predicted TB (p=0.01). Patients with CD4 ≤ 349 were almost twice as likely to have TB, than those with CD4 ≥500. Type of occupation predicted OT (p=0.04) with skilled workers less likely to have OT. Patients with primary/vocational/technical education were >3 times more likely to have HZ than those with tertiary education. CONCLUSION: Due to the complex management of HIV and its associated OIs, appropriate implementation of the recommended guidelines for care and prevention among patients at KNH is important.