Prakash G. Mantur1, Sharan Badiger2, M. S. Biradar3
BACKGROUND: Our aim was to study the clinical and demographic profile of patients infected with HIV infection.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: The prospective study was conducted at a tertiary care referral teaching hospital in Vijayapur, India. The study was conducted on a group of 290 patients confirmed as HIV positive. They were studied for their clinical spectrum and different demographic parameters.
RESULTS: The mean age of presentation was 36.32+/-12.42 years and majority of the patients belonged to the age group 31-40 years. Predominant route of transmission seen in these patients was heterosexual contact. The most common symptoms observed in the study group were fever, cough, breathlessness, diarrhea, abdominal pain. Tuberculosis and Oropharyngeal candidiasis were the most common opportunistic infections.
CONCLUSION: The initial presentation of HIV-infected patients to health care assistance is occurring at a late stage of the disease, when signs and symptoms of immunodeficiency are already established. Efforts are necessary to construct strategies to make an early diagnosis of these patients, improve the quality of care, and guarantee the benefits of antiretroviral therapy, when it is indicated.
