Incidence and prevalence of HIV-positive patients on chronic hemodialysis at the university and San Juan Hospital

RESUMO

There is controversy on whether or not patients with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) on chronic hemodialysis (HD) should be routinely tested for the prsence of HIV-antibody (HIV-Ab) in their blood. Several reports have appeared in the literature reporting incidence from 0 to 11%. A total of 227 patients receiving chronic HD; at the University and San Juan City Hospital, from January to December 1987 were screened for the presence of HIV-Ab by the ELISA method. Those reported as positive were confirmed by the Western Blot method. HIV-Ab presence was reported and confirmed in 9 patients (4%). Five of these patients (2%) were IV drug abusers, 2 (0.9%) homosexual, 1 (0.4%) had history of sexual promiscuity and 1 (0.4%) had been exposed to multiple blood transfusion (MBT) prior to HIV testing of blood. Our prevalence was 7%. However when risk factors other than MBT were excluded the prevalence was 0.4%. The incidence and prevalence of HIV positive cases in our hemodialysis populations is comparable to that previously reported