TO DETERMINE THE PREVALENCE OF HIV IN CHILDREN WITH TUBERCULOSIS IN ORDER TO INFLUENCE FUTURE PREVENTIVE AND TREATMENT INITIATIVES
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Keywords
Tuberculosis, Extra pulmonary TB, HIV co infection
Abstract
Background: Pakistan has the fifth highest tuberculosis (TB) burden in the world, accounting for 61% of TB infections in the WHO's Eastern Mediterranean Region. With an estimated 510,000 new cases each year, including 15,000 multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) cases, the country has the world's fourth-highest MDR TB rate, affecting 12.6% of youngsters. HIV raises the risk of tuberculosis, particularly among children who are malnourished, however data on TB/HIV co-infection in Pakistan is scarce, particularly among youngsters.
Objective: To determine the prevalence of HIV in children with tuberculosis in order to influence future preventive and treatment initiatives
Duration : This study was conducted in Civil Hospital Karachi, Pakistan from year 2022 to year 2023.
Methodology: This cross-sectional study, covered children aged 3 months to 12 years with active or extra-pulmonary tuberculosis. Following Ethical Review Committee permission, complete clinical and lab tests including blood, sputum/gastric aspirate AFB, CSF analysis, imaging, and HIV screening were done, with fundamental investigators covering the costs. Data was securely captured, analyzed in SPSS version 24, and presented as descriptive statistics to provide a brief summary of findings.
Results: There was a total of 100 children who were a part of this study. Majority of the children were male. The mean age for the study was 2 years. The average weight was 15.57 kg. The average height was 102.3 cm. Gene Xpert testing of gastric aspirate revealed a 20% positivity rate, with Mantoux tests positive in 5% of cases, rifampicin resistance detected in 3%, gastric aspirate for AFB positive in 14%, and HIV positivity discovered in 5%.
Conclusion: HIV is not uncommon in children with tuberculosis, as both pulmonary and extra-pulmonary TB can coexist with HIV infection.
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Subash Kirshan
Paediatric Registrar, Hull Royal Infirmary Teaching Hospital NHS Trust, Hull East Yorkshire, UK.
Vikash Lal
Senior clinical Fellow, Paediatrics, Royal Derby Teaching Hospital, NHS Trust Derby, Derbyshire, UK.
Jai Kumar
Paediatrics Specialist, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Suneet Kumar
Paediatric Resident, Dr. Ruth K.M Pfau Civil Hospital, DUHS, Karachi, Pakistan.
Radhika Jai
Medical Student, Charles University First Faculty of Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic.