ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence, microbiological pattern and prognostic factor of bacterial pneumonia in AIDS patients. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study of AIDS patients from July 2001 to Dec 2002. METHODOLOGY: Adults AIDS patients on HAART drugs that develop acute fever, cough with bronchial breathing or lung crepitations had diagnostic evaluation that included chest x-ray, paired sputum microscopy, culture and sensitivity, paired blood culture and haematological profiles including CD4' cell count. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients (22.6%), 9 males and 12 females developed community acquired pneumonia during this 16-month period. Pneumonia was confirmed in 9 patients (42.9%), presumed in 4 (19%) and probable in 8 (38%). Streptococcus pneumoniae accounted for 22% of the cases when immunity was less impaired. Staplhylococcus aureus accounted for another 22 % while Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeraginosa and Escherichial coli were isolated in 11% each when immunity was severely compromised. Fifteen patients (71.4%) were successfully treated with routine antibiotics. Six cases (28.6%) died. All had anaemia, leucopoenia and low CD4 cell count. Four (66.7%) of this had positive bacterial culture with bacteremia in three of them. CONCLUSION: Bacterial pneumonia in HIV-infected patients has similar presentation to that in the general population, Staphylococcus aureus and gram-negative bacilli especially Klebsiella pneumoniae were seen in a good proportion of the cases. Outcome of treatment was poor in the presence of positive bacterial culture, anemia, leucopoenia and very low CD4+ lymphocytes.
