title: Bronchoscopic study on aetiology of chronic cough in HIV-infected adults with negative sputum smears for Mycobacterium tuberculosis at Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To establish the aetiology of chronic cough in HIV-infected patients with negative sputum smears for Acid Fast Bacilli (AFB).
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional descriptive study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Kenyatta National Hospital, a tertiary referral centre in Kenya
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty five HIV-infected adults presenting with chronic cough and negative sputum smears for AFBs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-two patients were included in the final analysis. Aetiology of chronic cough was established in 42 (68%) patients. Pneumocystis jiroveci, bacterial pneumonia and Mycobacterium tuberculosis were diagnosed in 22 (35.5%), 17 (27.4%) and 14 (22.5%) patients respectively. Majority (98%) of patients with a diagnosis had multiple causes established in them. Ciprofloxacin had activity against 91% of the isolated organisms while Penicillin was active against 35% only.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study documents Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia as a common cause of morbidity in a subset of HIV infected patients with chronic cough and negative sputum smears for AFB in Kenya.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Moi University School of Medicine, P. O. Box 4606-30100, Eldoret, Kenya.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Siika
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Chakaya
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Revathi
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Mohamed
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Bhatt
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections; D000328:Adult; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003371:Cough / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya; D008297:Male; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016720:Pneumocystis Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D045363:Pneumocystis carinii / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology*