Management of tuberculosis and HIV co-infection in Cotonou, Benin

The authors had for aim to assess the management of tuberculosis and HIV co-infection in Cotonou, Benin.

We made a cross-sectional, retrospective, and descriptive study comparing the clinical presentation and outcome of patients with tuberculosis and HIV co-infection versus patients with tuberculosis alone, all managed at the National Pneumophtisiology Center in Cotonou, Benin, in 2009.

The rate of HIV screening in TB patients was 99%. One thousand and eighty-six TB patients were included and 259 were HIV positive. The mean age of co-infected patients was 36 years, versus 34 for TB mono-infected patients. The sex ratio among co-infected was 1.15 versus 2.25 among TB patients. Positive pulmonary sputum was less frequent with co-infection. Two hundred and fifty-seven over 259 patients were treated with cotrimoxazole. One hundred and eighty-five over 234 (79.05%) had CD4 counts<350. Eighty-five (46%) of the 185 patients with CD4<350, were given antiretroviral therapy. Treatment success rate was lower for co-infected (75%) than for patients with TB alone (86%), and death rates were higher in co-infected patients (10% vs. 3%).

High death rate and high rate of lost to follow-up are arguments for systematic antiretroviral treatment of co-infected patients. Early screening for TB and HIV, and reviewing the current national recommendations, as well as an increased governmental effort to provide medicines to all patients in need of ARV are mandatory.