Clinico-etiological profile of lower respiratory tract infections in HIV-positive patients

Background: The type of pathogens responsible for opportunistic infections in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected persons varies from region to region. Till date, very few studies covering respiratory tract infections in HIV-positive patients have been conducted in this part of the country. This study was conducted in order to get better understanding of the clinical picture of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in HIV-positive patients in this region. Aim: The aim was to study the LRTIs in HIV-positive patients. Settings and Design: Eighty-one patients were diagnosed as HIV-positive with LRTIs, attending to Department of Medicine at Assam Medical College and Hospital, Dibrugarh, Assam, India. Materials and Methods: Personal and family history was collected with emphasis on the duration of HIV-positive status, any chronic illness, sexually transmitted diseases, history of blood transfusions, or any surgical procedures. A detailed general and systemic examination was done. Statistical Analysis Used: The data collected were tabulated in MS Excel and analyzed using SPSS 20.0. The categorical variables were summarized as frequency and percentages. Results: Mycobacterium tuberculosis was responsible for 18.52% of cases of LRTIs, whereas fungal etiology was found in 7.41% of the cases. The most common bacterial and fungal pathogens isolated were Streptococcus pneumoniae (23.46%) and Candida albicans (7.41%), respectively. Conclusion: Low CD4 cell count is an important indicator for the risk of pulmonary tuberculosis and fungal LRTIs, as shown in our study. Periodic CD cell count in HIV-positive patients is important in this regard.