title: Outcome of hospital admissions in HIV-infected children at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The burden of paediatric HIV infection remains high in resource-poor settings. Information on morbidity leading to hospitalisation as well as outcome is limited.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to determine the reasons for hospital admissions of HIV-infected paediatric patients to a tertiary teaching hospital and the outcome of these admissions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective chart review of inpatient records of all HIV-infected children aged 0 to 13 years admitted to the paediatric unit at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital from 30 June 2007 to 30 June 2008 was performed. Abstracted data included age, gender, weight, presenting conditions, diagnosis, duration of hospitalisation, antiretroviral treatment, and outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 102 admissions occurred among 76 children. The mean age of the children was 4.5 ± 3.79 years and 42 (55%) were males. HIV diagnosis was made during hospitalisation in 23 (30%) of the 76 patients. Overall, 55 (64%) of the 76 patients had a weight for age less than second percentile and 67% were not on antiretroviral therapy at time of admission. Of the 102 admissions, the predominant diagnosis included pneumonia (40%), gastroenteritis (24%), pulmonary tuberculosis (22%), and/or malaria (19%). Death occurred in 12 of the 102 admissions. Age, gender, and admitting diagnosis were not associated with death.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Failure to thrive and common prevalent infections were the predominant reasons for hospitalisation for paediatric HIV/AIDS patients in Accra. Hospitalisations with these conditions should prompt early HIV testing. Efforts should be intensified to prevent maternal to child transmission of HIV infection.
authors.affiliation: The Miriam Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island, RI 02906, USA. akwara@lifespan.org
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kwara
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Renner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005869:Ghana / Q000453:epidemiology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009017:Morbidity; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome