Clinical indicators of hiv infection in under-five children with diarrhoea in a resource-limited setting.

Abstract

Background: Children are most vulnerable to human immunodeficiency virus infection but in sub-Saharan African countries they are diagnosed late because paediatric human immunodeficiency virus diagnostic facilities are limited. Methods: Prospective study of 400 under-five children with diarrhoea in a hospital sitting. Results: Twenty six children (6.5%) were human immunodeficiency virus positive. Compared to the children who were human immunodeficiency virus negative, those who were positive had higher proportions of patients with acute diarrhoea (77%, p<0.002); recurrent diarrhoea (54%, p<0.001), chronic diarrhoea (p<0.002), caugh (73%, p<0.001); weight loss (18%, p<0.001) and delayed/developmental milestone loss (38%, p<0.001). Conclusions: In resource limited settings cough, wasting or developmental delay associated with chronic diarrhoea may be used as indicators for human immunodeficiency virus screening in under-five children.

Keywords: Children, diarrhoea, human immunodeficiency virus, indicators