Bloodstream infections among HIV-infected outpatients, Southeast Asia

Emerg Infect Dis. 2010 Oct;16(10):1569-75. doi: 10.3201/eid1610.091686.

Abstract

Bloodstream infections (BSIs) are a major cause of illness in HIV-infected persons. To evaluate prevalence of and risk factors for BSIs in 2,009 HIV-infected outpatients in Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam, we performed a single Myco/F Lytic blood culture. Fifty-eight (2.9%) had a clinically significant BSI (i.e., a blood culture positive for an organism known to be a pathogen). Mycobacterium tuberculosis accounted for 31 (54%) of all BSIs, followed by fungi (13 [22%]) and bacteria (9 [16%]). Of patients for whom data were recorded about antiretroviral therapy, 0 of 119 who had received antiretroviral therapy for ≥14 days had a BSI, compared with 3% of 1,801 patients who had not. In multivariate analysis, factors consistently associated with BSI were fever, low CD4+ T-lymphocyte count, abnormalities on chest radiograph, and signs or symptoms of abdominal illness. For HIV-infected outpatients with these risk factors, clinicians should place their highest priority on diagnosing tuberculosis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / epidemiology*
  • AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / microbiology
  • Adult
  • Asia, Southeastern / epidemiology
  • Bacteremia / epidemiology*
  • Bacteremia / microbiology
  • Bacteria / classification
  • Bacteria / isolation & purification
  • Cambodia / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Fungemia / complications*
  • Fungemia / epidemiology*
  • Fungemia / microbiology
  • Fungi / classification
  • Fungi / isolation & purification
  • HIV Infections / complications*
  • HIV Infections / epidemiology
  • HIV Infections / virology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / isolation & purification
  • Outpatients
  • Prevalence
  • Risk Factors
  • Thailand / epidemiology
  • Tuberculosis / epidemiology
  • Tuberculosis / microbiology
  • Vietnam / epidemiology