title: Clinical and Epidemiological Characteristics of HIV Infection/AIDS in Hospitalized Patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  More than three decades after recognition of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in the United States, the pandemic of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has dramatically changed the global burden of disease.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The main goal of this research is retrospective analysis of epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 28 HIV infected patients, who were diagnosed and treated at the Clinic for Infectious Diseases in University Clinical Center Tuzla in the period from 1996 until the end of 2013.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis was performed using the medical records of 28 HIV-infected persons. Two rapid tests were used for HIV testing: OraQuick Advance test, Vikia HIV1/2, Elisa combo test, HIV RNA test. AIDS disease was determined by using the criteria from WHO.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among a total of 28 HIV-infected persons, 23 (82.14%) were males and 5 (17.86%) were females, with the male: female ratio of 4,6:1. In terms of the transmission route, a large proportion of cases were infected through heterosexual contact 19 (67.86%). At the time of the first visit, 16 (57.15%) patients showed asymptomatic HIV infection, 4 (14.28%) HIV infection with symptoms other than the AIDS defining diseases, and 8 (28.57) had AIDS. At the time of first hospital visit, the CD4 + cells count ranged from 40 to 1795/µl (conducted in 19 patients), and mean value of CD4 + cells was 365,31/µl, and mean HIV RNA titer was 287 118 copies/ml³. Of 28 HIV-infected persons 39 cases of opportunistic diseases developed in 12 patients (42.9%). In terms of the frequency of opportunistic diseases, tuberculosis (12 cases, 42.9%). Among a total of 28 HIV-infected patients, 6 (21.4%) of them died.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study characterizes the epidemiological and clinical patterns of HIV-infected patients in Tuzla region of Bosnia and Herzegovina to accurately understand HIV infection/AIDS in our region, in the hope to contribute in the establishment of effective HIV guidelines in the Tuzla region of B&H in the future.
authors: Clinic for Infectious Disease, University Clinical Centre Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
authors: Sead
authors: S
authors: Ahmetagic
authors: Clinic for Infectious Disease, University Clinical Centre Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
authors: Humera
authors: H
authors: Porobić-Jahic
authors: Clinic for Infectious Disease, University Clinical Centre Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
authors: Dilista
authors: D
authors: Piljic
authors: Department for Hygiene and Epidemiology Surveillance, University Clinical Center Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
authors: Amer
authors: A
authors: Custovic
authors: Polyclinic for Laboratory Diagnostics, Department for molecular pathology, University Clinical Center Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
authors: Damir
authors: D
authors: Sabitovic
authors: Clinic for Infectious Disease, University Clinical Centre Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
authors: Denis
authors: D
authors: Zepic
keywords: HIV; clinical characteristics; epidemiology; hospitalized patients