ABSTRACT
Bacteraemia is significantly associated with underlying Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection and is often life-threatening. Streptococcus pneumoniae, non- typhoidal salmonella (NTS), Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli have been shown in various studies to be common organisms that cause bacteraemia in HIV patients in other parts of Sub Saharan Africa (SSA). Methods: The study was a cross sectional analytical study carried out on febrile HIV infected adults who were admitted into the medical wards of the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH), North Central Nigeria. Blood cultures and other relevant laboratory investigations were carried out on admission. The patients were followed up for a period of one month and outcome thereafter was evaluated. Results: A total of 145 HIV positive patients with a mean age of 37.5 years (range 18-75 yrs.) were studied. The prevalence of bacteraemia was found to be 28.3%. The common causative pathogens were Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumonia, with Streptococcus pneumoniae being the most common isolate. Mortality was higher in the bacteremia group (51.2%) compared to the non bacteraemic group (32.7%) [P-value = 0.04] as well as among those with severe immunosuppression (96.4%) compared to those with CD4 cell counts above 200 cells /ml (3.6%)[p-value=0.004]. Conclusion: Bacteremia is common among febrile HIV patients presenting at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital and it is associated with a high mortality rate. Streptococcus pneumoniae is the commonest causative organism.