<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Diarrhea is the most common gastrointestinal symptom in HIV-infected patients. The incidence and severity of diarrhea increase with progression of the immune defi ciency. In the literature, 30-60% of the patients with diarrhea among HIV-infected individuals remain without specified etiological agent. The aim of this article is to present the incidence of enterocolitis among hospitalized HIV-infected patients over a 3-year period and the degree of etiological clarifi cation of the cause. The results of our analyses showed that 63% of the hospitalized HIV-infected patients for this period were with enterocolitis. Only in 30% of these patients etiological agent was isolated. The reasons for this are mainly financial constraints and, therefore, virological investigations and further endoscopic and histopathological examination of the patients with negative for bacteria and parasites stool samples, were not performed. In the cases with isolated pathogen, an etiological treatment was carried out in parallel with highly active antiretroviral therapy, while in unsubstantiated cases an empirical treatment was carried out. Advanced immune defi ciency was associated with more severe course and worse prognosis of the enterocolitis. The treatment with highly active antiretroviral therapy, which leads to improvement of the immune status of the patients, is essential for the output of enterocolitis in HIV-infected patients.</p></abstract>

Diarrhea is the most common gastrointestinal symptom in HIV-infected patients. The incidence and severity of diarrhea increase with progression of the immune defi ciency. In the literature, 30-60% of the patients with diarrhea among HIV-infected individuals remain without specified etiological agent. The aim of this article is to present the incidence of enterocolitis among hospitalized HIV-infected patients over a 3-year period and the degree of etiological clarifi cation of the cause. The results of our analyses showed that 63% of the hospitalized HIV-infected patients for this period were with enterocolitis. Only in 30% of these patients etiological agent was isolated. The reasons for this are mainly financial constraints and, therefore, virological investigations and further endoscopic and histopathological examination of the patients with negative for bacteria and parasites stool samples, were not performed. In the cases with isolated pathogen, an etiological treatment was carried out in parallel with highly active antiretroviral therapy, while in unsubstantiated cases an empirical treatment was carried out. Advanced immune defi ciency was associated with more severe course and worse prognosis of the enterocolitis. The treatment with highly active antiretroviral therapy, which leads to improvement of the immune status of the patients, is essential for the output of enterocolitis in HIV-infected patients.

Etiologic Characteristics of Enterocolitis in Hospitalized HIV-Infected Patients for 3-Year Period (2013-2015)

Department for Acquired immune deficiency, Specialized Hospital for infectious and parasitic diseases “Prof. Ivan Kirov“, Medical University – Sofia, Blvd. Acad. Ivan Geshov 17 Bg − 1606 Sofia

Department for Acquired immune deficiency, Specialized Hospital for infectious and parasitic diseases “Prof. Ivan Kirov“, Medical University – Sofia

National Reference Laboratory of Parasitology, National Centre of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Sofia

National Reference Laboratory of Immunology, National Centre of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Sofia

Acta Medica Bulgarica

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Diarrhea is the most common gastrointestinal symptom in HIV-infected patients. The incidence and severity of diarrhea increase with progression of the immune...

Etiologic Characteristics of Enterocolitis in Hospitalized HIV-Infected Patients for 3-Year Period (2013-2015)

Published Online: Apr 20, 2016

Page range: 64 - 70

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/amb-2016-0008

Keywords
HIV, enterocolitis, etiologic diagnostics, highly active antiretroviral therapy

© 2016

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Etiologic Characteristics of Enterocolitis in Hospitalized HIV-Infected Patients for 3-Year Period (2013-2015)

Published Online: Apr 20, 2016

Page range: 64 - 70

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/amb-2016-0008

KeywordsHIV, enterocolitis, etiologic diagnostics, highly active antiretroviral therapy

© 2016

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
HIV, enterocolitis, etiologic diagnostics, highly active antiretroviral therapy