[Bacterial infections in HIV patients].
OBJECTIVE
Retrospective analysis of bacterial infections occurring in 400 admissions of HIV-positive patients in the Infectious Diseases Unit of the Azienda Ospedale Santa Corona, Pietra Ligure (SV), from January 1994 to September 1996.


RESULTS
56 episodes were documented (14% of admissions): 24 (43%) hospital acquired (11 sepsis, 5 pneumonias, 6 urinary-tract infections, 1 infection of a prosthetic device) and 32 (57%) community-acquired (9 sepsis, 13 pneumonias [6 with bacteremia] 9 urinary-tract infections, 1 endocarditis). At time of diagnosis mean absolute CD4-lymphocyte count was 106/cmm (95% Cl 62-150) and mean neutrophil count was 4.690/cmm (95% Cl 3.466-5.914); 11 patients had a central venous catheter, 9 a vesical catheter and 7 severe skin lesions. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (11/24, 46%) and Pseudomonas (8/24, 33%) were the most frequently isolated pathogens in hospital infections, while the majority of community acquired episodes were due to S. pneumoniae (10/32, 31%). In six episodes (11%) the patient died because of the bacterial infection.


CONCLUSIONS
Bacterial infections are quite frequent in this cohort of HIV-infected patients. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus and Pseudomonas represented the major cause of hospital acquired infections, while S. pneumoniae represented the major cause of community acquired episodes.
Carrega
G
G
Divisione Malattie Infettive, Azienda Ospedale Santa Corona, Pietra Ligure, SV.
Santoriello
L
L
Bartolacci
V
V
Guerra
M
M
Varagona
G
G
Riccio
G
G