title: Bacterial infections in human immunodeficiency virus-infected children.
abstract: A retrospective review of 71 children infected with human immunodeficiency virus cared for over a 3.5-year period revealed that 44 of 71 (63%) required a bacterial culture and 27 of 71 (37%) had bacteriologically documented infection. There were 125 episodes in 27 patients. Pneumonia (24 of 125 (19%)), upper respiratory tract syndromes (23 of 125 (19%)), urinary tract infection (24 of 125 (19%)) and wound infection (12 of 125 (10%)) were the most common syndromes identified. Bacteremic infections occurred in 35 of 125 (28%), and in 17 of 125 (14%) no other primary source could be identified. Pneumococci (11 of 35 (31%)) and Salmonella (4 of 35 (11%)) were the most common blood isolates; however, a wide spectrum of Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens were recovered. Bacterial pneumonia directly contributed to the death of 4 patients, in whom pneumonia caused by Pneumocystis carinii (2), cytomegalovirus (1) or varicella-zoster virus (1) also coexisted, respectively. Absolute T4 counts less than 400 and depressed lymphocyte-proliferative responses to diphtheria and tetanus toxoids, Candida antigen and pokeweed mitogen correlated with the occurrence of bacterial infection in human immunodeficiency virus-infected children. Although bacterial infections are a frequent cause of morbidity in human immunodeficiency virus-infected children, they are usually treatable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, New York University Medical Center, NY 10016.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Krasinski
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Borkowsky
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bonk
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lawrence
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chandwani
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D000293:Adolescent; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D007223:Infant; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000906:Antibodies; D007136:Immunoglobulins