Journal of Infectious Diseases & Therapy
Open Access

Abstract

Introduction: Pulmonary complications are very common during the course of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Aim: The main aim of the study is to assess the patterns of respiratory complications in the HIV/AIDS patients. Materials & Methods: In this study, 77 patients were enrolled (83.1% male HIV/AIDS) with pulmonary complications, with the mean age of the subjects 46.4�±10.2 and known as HIV seropositive patients from 5.1�±2.4 years. Data were elaborated by SPSS17. Results: By occupational 29 (37.7%) were unemployed, 22 (28.6%) employed, 5 (6.5%) farmers, 7 (9.1%) office-bearer, 14 (18.2%) were others. Regarding the count of CD4 cells 6 (7.8%) showed 300-399 cell/ml, 15 (19.5%) with 200-300 cell/ml, 28 (36.4%) patients showed 100-199 cell/ml and 28 (36.4%) <100 cell/ml. 84 pulmonary manifestations were found in all the 77 patients with HIV/AIDS respectively bacterial pneumonia (first episode) in 12 (14.3%) cases, recurrent bacterial pneumonia 9 (10.6%), pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) 33 (39.3%) cases, tuberculosis 27 (32.2%), divided in 23 (27.4%) cases as pulmonary tuberculosis and 4 (4.8%) as generalized tuberculosis. Kaposi syndrome was found in 2 patients (2.4%) and COPD in 1 (1.2%). At the end of the study (September 2015), 13 patients died and 12 of them had CD4 count level lower than CD4<199/ml. We found a positive correlations between ages and mortality (p=.003) and the pattern of pulmonary complications with CD4+ count level (P<0.0001). Conclusions: In our study, the most common respiratory complications with high mortality rate are opportunistic infections from pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) and tuberculosis (TB). The level of CD4+ count is a useful indicator for developing respiratory infections and complications in HIV/AIDS patients.

Biography

Matilda Gjergji completed her Graduation at Mother Teresa University Hospital, Albania in 2003. She completed her Post-graduate studies in Pneumology. From 2010, she is working at main national outpatients’ center for patients with respiratory disease, Tirana, Albania. She is member of several professional associations and has participated regularly in medical conferences and congresses worldwide. She has contributed in many studies, especially in epidemiology and clinical data, in patients with respiratory infectious disease.

Email: gjergjid2000@yahoo.com