Clinical characteristics of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) seropositive Nigerian patients undergoing dialysis

Abstract

Renal failure is a common finding in human immunodeficiency virus infected patients, and it contributes significantly to their morbidity and mortality. Most dialysis centres in Nigeria currently do not accept HIV positive patients for dialysis therapy for many reasons. The prevailing high level of stigmatization of HIV positive patients and the lack of job security for infected staff are two major reasons for the non-acceptance of HIV infected patients for dialysis by these centres. Following a pathetic encounter with an HIV positive patient who required dialysis and the success of his treatment, our centre currently perform dialysis for HIV positive patients on routine basis. In this article, we present our clinical observations on the characteristics of HIV patients dialyzed in our unit between 1st January 2004 and 31^st December 2004. A total of 142 patients dialyzed in our centre during this period. 24 (16.9%) were HIV positive. Acute renal failure was significantly more common in the HIV positive patients. [14(31.8%) of 44 patients who presented with acute renal failure. X² = 8.95, p <0.05]. Aetiologically, septicaemia was the most common cause of acute renal failure [7(50%) of 14 patients]. HIV associated nephropathy accounted for 8(80%) out of 10 HIV positive patients dialyzed with chronic renal failure. Outcome of therapy was not significantly different when compared with the HIV negative patients. We conclude that renal function impairment is common in patients with HIV infection. Treatment outcomes are essentially similar to HIV seronegative patients. The main determining factor being the ability of the patient to finance dialysis therapy

Keywords: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), renal failure. HIV associated Nephropathy (HIVAN)

Nigerian Journal of Health and Biomedical Sciences Vol. 5(1) 2006: 1-6