title: Antiretroviral Service to HIV patients of low CD4 count in Seti Zonal Hospital.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Due to unavailability of vaccine against HIV/AIDS, there are no ways other than relying on ART. We select group of late stage HIV/AIDS with CD4<50 so that opportunistic infections and outcome of patients in this late stage of severe immunosuppression after initiation of ART can be known
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross sectional study was carried out in 53 HIV patients with CD4 count <50 cells/cu mm blood undergoing ART in Seti Zonal Hospital Dhangadi between December 2006 and May 2008 with objectives to explore the treatment outcome in this late stage of immunosuppression. Only those patients with CD4 count <50 were consecutively selected and recommended for various laboratory test on the basis of which ART regimen were prescribed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 53 patients, 42 (79.2%) were males and 11 (20.8%) were females, with predominant age group of 30-40 years (49.1%). Fever (71.7%), diarrhea (56.6%), pneumonia (52.8%), weight loss (52.8%) and oral thrush (33.9%) were found to be the major clinical presentation/Opportunistic infections. 19 (35.8%) patients showed normal activity throughout the treatment period with increase in CD4 count, 10 (19%) were recovered and transferred out. Only 1 (1.8%) showed decrease in CD4 count even after taking ART. Significant relationship was established between the intake of ART and increase in CD4 level (pair t = 7.88, p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ART service was found to be efficient enough to increase the CD4 count significantly after 6 months of therapy but the prevalence of OIs/clinical manifestations were sufficiently higher in this group of patients with low CD4 count.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Seti Zonal Hospital, Dhangadi, Kailali. bidhan_dr2005@yahoo.com
authors.forename: B N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Paudel
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Chaudhary
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Dhungana
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Paudel
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence; D008875:Middle Aged; D009390:Nepal; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents