Prevalent Clinical Assessments of HIV Positive Infants in a South African District Hospital

Abstract

Background HIV/Aids continues to be a major factor in the morbidity and mortality of children in South Africa. Despite the implementation of new guidelines to lower mother-to-child transmission in the country, some infants are admitted to hospitals undetected and or in alarming conditions. Aim To determine the most prevalent clinical assessments of HIV-positive infants admitted at Odi District Hospital, South Africa. Methods This was a cross-sectional study based on a retrospective records review of all HIV-positive infants admitted at Odi District Hospital in Pretoria from the 1st January 2010 to 31st December 2012. Results Only 10.2% of the 962 files of infants admitted to Odi Hospital were HIV-positive infants, with the majority (58.2%) in the 7–12-month age range and a high admission rate (57.1%) for males. Twenty-five percent of infants had a diagnosis prior to admission. There were 44.9% lower respiratory tract infections, 25.5% malnutrition and failure to thrive, 2.4% gastroenteritis, 2% meningitis, 2% febrile convulsions, and other diseases like encephalopathy and dehydration. Conclusion The current study has presented lower respiratory tract infection as the most prevalent clinical assessment and cause of morbidity among HIV-positive infants admitted at Odi District Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa. In order to provide a comprehensive view of the issue, additional studies with large sample sizes are advised. What This Study Adds The study presents the prevalence of associated clinical conditions among infants with HIV/AIDS, listed in descending order at a South African district level of care.