title: Human immunodeficiency virus in institutionalized elderly people.
abstract: A search in the SciELO and PubMed databases showed few studies on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive individuals in long-term care institutions (LTCIs), thus prompting the present study. The aim of this study was to ascertain whether there were any HIV-positive individuals in LTCIs for the elderly.
  Cross-sectional study in which the Hospital Infection Control Committee (HICC) of a 405-bed LTCI was consulted.
  The medical records of 405 individuals interned in the LTCI who had been tested for HIV infection were requested for analysis of the following variables: [1] age and gender; [2] length of stay at LTCI (months); [3] causes and diagnoses on admission to LTCI according to International Classification of Diseases, 10th edition; [4] date of HIV diagnosis; [5] seropositivity for syphilis and hepatitis B and C viruses; [6] medications used at last prescription in medical file; and [7] mean CD4 lymphocyte count based on: total lymphocyte count/6 and total lymphocyte count x 0.8 x 0.2 or 0.3.
  Four men were HIV-positive, with mean age 71.2 ± 8.6 years, LTCI stay 74.2 ± 38.1 months and length of HIV diagnosis 24.5 ± 17 months (confirmed by HICC standard screening). Three had stroke sequelae; one, dementia syndrome; two, seropositivity for syphilis; two, hepatitis B and one, hepatitis C. The main drugs used were lamivudine, zidovudine, lopinavir, ritonavir, levothyroxine, omeprazole, ranitidine, lactulose and risperidone. The estimated CD4 count was 341 ± 237/mm3.
  HIV-positive individuals are present in LTCIs, diagnosable through serological screening and treatable with antiretroviral drugs.
authors.affiliation: MD, PhD. Associate Professor, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Santa Casa de São Paulo (FCMSCSP), and Head of Area III of the Department of Internal Medicine and Coordinator of the Geriatrics Sector, Irmandade da Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Milton Luiz
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Gorzoni
authors.affiliation: MD, MSc. Instructor, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Santa Casa de São Paulo (FCMSCSP), and Technical Director, Hospital Geriátrico e de Convalescentes D. Pedro II, Irmandade da Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sueli Luciano
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Pires
authors.affiliation: MD, MSc. Attending Physician, Hospital Geriátrico e de Convalescentes D. Pedro II, Irmandade da Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lilian de Fátima Costa
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Faria
authors.affiliation: RN. Nurse, Hospital Infection Control Commission, Hospital Geriátrico e de Convalescentes D. Pedro II, Irmandade da Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Márcia Regina Valadares
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Aguado
authors.affiliation: RN. Nurse, Hospital Geriátrico e de Convalescentes D. Pedro II, Irmandade da Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Miriam Carmen
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Santana