Evaluation of chronic diarrhea in patients newly diagnosed with HIV infection through the FilmArray® gastrointestinal panel

Introduction

The treatment and diagnosis of chronic diarrhea in the immunocompromised patient depends on the ability to rapidly detect the etiologic agents.

Aims

Our aim was to evaluate the results of the FilmArray® gastrointestinal panel in patients newly diagnosed with HIV infection that presented with chronic diarrhea.

Material and methods

Utilizing nonprobability consecutive convenience sampling, 24 patients were included that underwent molecular testing for the simultaneous detection of 22 pathogens.

Results

In 24 HIV-infected patients with chronic diarrhea, enteropathogen bacteria were detected in 69% of the cases, parasites in 18%, and viruses in 13%. Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli and enteroaggregative Escherichia coli were the main bacteria identified, Giardia lamblia was found in 25%, and norovirus was the most frequent viral agent. The median number of infectious agents per patient was three (range of 0 to 7). The biologic agents not identified through the FilmArray® method were tuberculosis and fungi.

Conclusions

Several infectious agents were simultaneously detected through the FilmArray® gastrointestinal panel in patients with HIV infection and chronic diarrhea.