Opportunistic Infections among People Living with HIV in the Infectious Disease Department, the University Hospital of Fann in Dakar, Senegal

Aim: The aim of this study was to identify the main infections and opportunistic infections in hospitalized patients living with HIV and to determine the hospital lethality rate.

Patients and Methods: This was a retrospective, descriptive study of patients hospitalized in the infectious diseases department of the University Hospital of Fann over a 02-year period from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2022.

Results: We recorded 308 cases, 296 of which were patients living with HIV, out of a total of 1208 patients admitted to the department, a hospital prevalence rate of 24.5%. The average age of the patients was 43.3 ± 13.3 years, with a sex ratio of 0.7. One hundred and thirty-one patients (44.26%) were married. 22.97% had no occupation and 35.5% of patients came from home. The average diagnostic period was 3.9 days ± 4.78 days. Two hundred and five patients (69.26%) were at WHO stage 4. Tuberculosis was the most common bacterial infection, with 114 cases (38.5%), followed by common bacterial pneumonia (7.77%) and septicemia (4.72%). With regard to viral infections, the prevalence of viral hepatitis B was 6.76%, followed by herpes (1.68%). Among parasitic infections, toxoplasmosis was noted in 6.41% and cryptosporidiosis in 2.02%. Candidiasis was the most common fungal opportunistic infection, affecting forty-three patients (14.52%), followed by pneumocystis (7.09%) and cryptococcosis (2.36%). More than a third of our patients (37.84%) had severe anaemia, with haemoglobin levels below 8g/dl. Nearly a quarter of patients (21.28%) had impaired kidney function.

Conclusion: HIV infection occurs in young adults at a late stage. Mortality remains high due to opportunistic infection.

It is essential to carry out early screening, but above all to make available diagnostic tools and certain molecules for treatment of opportunistic infections.