Pediatric admissions with human immunodeficiency virus infection at a regional hospital in Soweto, South Africa

Abstract

The prevalence and clinical spectrum of HIV disease in hospitalized African children has not been adequately characterized in Southern Africa. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and disease profile of HIV infected children under 5 years of age admitted to a tertiary care hospital in Soweto, South Africa and to assess the impact of pediatric HIV on health services. Over a 6-month period, serial pediatric admissions to one of the children's wards were screened for HIV. Data on demographics and disease profile were recorded for all patients. A total of 549 patients were admitted, of whom 507 were tested for HIV; 29.2 per cent were considered to be truly infected. Previous admissions to hospital were more frequent in the HIV infected group, 48 per cent compared with 20.4 per cent of HIV uninfected children (p < 0.01), with a median length of stay of 8 days compared with 6 days (p < 0.01). There were more malnourished children in the HIV infected group (65.8 per cent compared with 33.1 per cent) (p < 0.01) and more died (17 per cent compared with 4.6 per cent) (p < 0.01). The most common reasons for admission in all children were infectious diseases such as pneumonia and gastroenteritis (85 and 31.9 per cent compared with 51 and 22.5 per cent, respectively in the HIV infected and uninfected groups, p < 0.01 and p < 0.03). It was concluded that pediatric HIV infection accounts for almost a third of childhood admissions to this hospital and has become a significant burden on the health service.