ABSTRACT
Background: Paediatric HIV/AIDS has become a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in our environment Objectives: The aim is to determine the clinical features on presentation; routes of transmission and outcome of hospital admissions in children with Paediatric HIV/AIDS at Amaku General Hospital Awka Anambra State Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study of children with Paediatric HIV/AIDS admitted into the hospital between March 1; 2007 and February 28; 2009 was done. Diagnosis for HIV infection was based on double ELISA and clinical criteria as recommended by WHO. Results: Thirty-nine HIV positive children aged 10weeks to 12years were admitted into the ward; accounting for about 10of total admissions. There were 22 males and 17 females. Majority of the patients (38.5) were ? 3 years old. Major clinical features were fever (76.9); diarrhoea (53.8); weight loss (51.3) and cough (46.1). Vertical transmission was the major route accounting for 66.7and was statistically significant (p 0.05). Twenty-nine patients (74.3) were discharged; while mortality rate was 15.4Conclusion: The finding indicates that Paediatric HIV/AIDS occurs predominantly by vertical route in Amaku General Hospital Awka. We recommend intensification of efforts to implement the existing prevention of mother to child transmission programme