Incidence and predictors of common opportunistic infection among HIV -infected children attending antiretroviral treatment clinic at Northeast Ethiopia, public hospitals 2022: A multicenter retrospective follow-up study

BACKGROUND: Opportunistic infections (OIs) are illnesses that attack people with weakened immune systems, such as HIV patients, more frequently and severely. The majority of opportunistic infections (OIs) are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in HIV/AIDS patients, emerging at the end of the illness. The objective of this study was to assess the incidence and risk factors of opportunistic infections (OIs) in HIV-infected children receiving antiretroviral therapy in public hospitals in Northeast Ethiopia. METHODS: A multicenter retrospective follow-up study was undertaken at public hospitals in northeast Ethiopia from September 1, 2010, to January 30, 2022. A total of 341 HIV-infected children on antiretroviral therapy were included in the study. Data was entered using Epi-Data Manager version 4.6.1, and it was analyzed using STATA version 16.1. The opportunistic infection free-survival time was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier survival curve. Bivariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to investigate the determinants of opportunistic infections. RESULTS: The overall incidence rate of opportunistic infections (OIs) was 6.0 (95% CI: 5.0–7.1) per 100 child-years of observation. This study's participants were observed for a minimum of 9 months and a maximum of 122 months, for a total of 21,629 months, or 1802.4 years. Children with WHO clinical stages III and IV (AHR: 1.77; 95% CI: 1.13, 2.77), non-users of Cotrimoxazole Preventive Therapy (CPT) (AHR: 2.10; 95% CI: 1.40, 3.08), and low hemoglobin levels (10 mg/dl) (AHR: 1.88; 95% CI: 1.25, 2.82) were identified as significant predictors of opportunistic infection. CONCLUSION: In this study, the incidence rate of opportunistic infections among HIV-infected children was found to be high when compared to other studies. Low hemoglobin levels (10 mg/dl), low CD4 counts or percentages, clinical stages III and IV, and non-users of CPT were all associated with higher rates of opportunistic infection.