Types and prevalence of HIV-related opportunistic infections/conditions among HIV-positive patients attending Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya

Background Although antiretroviral therapy (ART) has resulted in significant decrease in opportunistic infections (OIs), OIs continue to cause significant morbidity and mortality among HIV patients. Objective To determine the prevalence and types of HIV/AIDS-related OIs among patients attending Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) in Nairobi, Kenya. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from May to August 2010 among patients ≥19 years. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographic factors, HIV and OIs. CD4 data were extracted from clinical records. Results Most patients (72%) had lived with HIV for ≤ 5 years and 78.8% had an OI. The 3 most common OIs were TB (35%), Herpes Zoster (HZ; 15.4%) and oral thrush (OT; 8%). Years of HIV infection significantly predicted TB (p=0.01). Patients with CD4 ≤ 349 were almost twice as likely to have TB, than those with CD4 ≥500. Type of occupation predicted OT (p=0.04) with skilled workers less likely to have OT. Patients with primary/vocational/technical education were >3 times more likely to have HZ than those with tertiary education. Conclusion Due to the complex management of HIV and its associated OIs, appropriate implementation of the recommended guidelines for care and prevention among patients at KNH is important.