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[The clinical course of HIV infection in children who were parenterally infected]
I A Popova1, N V Burova, Iu A Fomin
1Russian Clinical HIV/AIDS Center, St.Petersburg, Russia.
Insights
Pediatric HIV infection acquired in hospitals led to a 26% mortality rate within 9.5 years. Infants under one year with poor health faced rapid progression to AIDS.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Epidemiology
- Clinical Virology
Context:
- This study examines the clinical progression of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection in 127 children.
- A significant majority (124 children) acquired HIV through nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infections.
- Infections occurred primarily in hospitals across Elista, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don, Shakhty, and Stavropol'.
Purpose:
- To analyze the clinical course and outcomes of pediatric HIV infection acquired in healthcare settings.
- To identify risk factors associated with rapid disease progression and mortality in this vulnerable population.
Summary:
- Over a 9-9.5 year follow-up period, 33 children (26%) died.
- Rapid progression to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) was observed in children under one year old.
- Aggravated premorbid conditions, including unfavorable maternal pregnancy and severe pre-existing child illness, correlated with rapid disease advancement.
Impact:
- Highlights the critical risk of nosocomial HIV transmission in pediatric healthcare.
- Underscores the need for stringent infection control measures to prevent pediatric HIV.
- Informs clinical management strategies for children with HIV, particularly those with pre-existing health vulnerabilities.
Abstract:
The data on the study of the clinical course of HIV infection in 127 children, 124 from these infected in nosocomial foci. The overwhelming majority of the children were infected at the period of their stay in hospitals of Elista, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don, Shakhty (Rostov Province) and Stavropol'. At the end of 9-9.5 years elapsed since the appearance of the first documented cases of parenteral infection 33 children (26%) died. The study revealed that at the age under 1 year the course of HIV infection could rapidly progress into the stage of AIDS in the presence of aggravated premorbid background linked with the unfavorable course of pregnancy in the mother and a severe disease in the child prior to contacting HIV infection.