Prevalent Clinical Assessments of HIV Positive Infants in a South African District Hospital

Background: HIV/Aids continues to be a major factor in the morbidity and mortality of children in South Africa. Despite the implementation of new guidelines to lower mother-to-child transmission in the country, some infants are admitted to hospitals undetected and or in alarming conditions. Aim: To determine the most prevalent clinical assessments of HIV-positive infants admitted at Odi District Hospital, South Africa. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study based on a retrospective records review of all HIV-positive infants admitted at Odi District Hospital in Pretoria from the 1^st January 2010 to 31^st December 2012. Results: Only 10.2% of the 962 files of infants admitted to Odi Hospital were HIV-positive infants, with the majority (58.2%) in the 7–12-month age range and a high admission rate (57.1%) for males. Twenty-five percent of infants had a diagnosis prior to admission. There were 44.9% lower respiratory tract infections, 25.5% malnutrition and failure to thrive, 2.4% gastroenteritis, 2% meningitis, 2% febrile convulsions, and other diseases like encephalopathy and dehydration. Conclusion: The current study has presented lower respiratory tract infection as the most prevalent clinical assessment and cause of morbidity among HIV-positive infants admitted at Odi District Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa. In order to provide a comprehensive view of the issue, additional studies with large sample sizes are advised. What This Study Adds: The study presents the prevalence of associated clinical conditions among infants with HIV/AIDS, listed in descending order at a South African district level of care.