An Epidemiological evaluation of tb/hiv-aids status in Malaysia: clinical and microbiological outcomes of the diseases
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Date
2004-12
Authors
Gurunathan, Angelina
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Abstract
The threat of TB seemed to have become increasingly imminent with the lethal
symbiosis of TB and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-acquired immune deficiency
syndrome (AIDS). This danger is further compounded with the fact that HIV-AIDS is the
foremost cause of death from infectious disease in the world; seconded only by TB.
(Corbett et. a/., 2003). Co-infection with HIV and TB is a phenomenon that is becoming
rampant worldwide and Malaysia is no exception. However there is no substantial data
concerning the co-infection of both the diseases in the country. This study's main aim
was to obtain a baseline data pertaining to the epidemiology of TB/HIV-AIDS in
Malaysia. Records of 231 patients co-infected with TB/HIV-AIDS between the months
of January 1999 and June 1999, and between the months January 2000 and
December 2002 were obtained retrospectively from the Institute of Respiratory
Medicine and the Infectious Disease Clinic at Hospital Kuala Lumpur. Data obtained
was analyzed with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software for
Windows release 11.5. Results obtained indicated that the majority of patients were
males (222), intravenous drug users (IVDUs) (179}, Malays (129) and aged between
31-40 years (114). A total of 63 patients were employed and 54 patients were
unemployed. The rest comprised of prison inmates (36), drug rehabilitation centre
inmates (6) and those whose occupation status remained undetermined (72). The
presence of BCG scar (indicating that the vaccine had been administered) was found in
92 (39.8%) patients. Most of the patients (175 patients) were treated for tuberculosis
with 2 months of daily doses of ethambutol, isoniazid, rifampicin and pyrazinamide
followed by 4 months of biweekly doses of rifampicin and isoniazid (2EHRZ, 4RH2).
There were only 14 patients who underwent antiretroviral therapy (ARVT) for HIV
infection at the Infectious Disease Clinic, Kuala Lumpur Hospital. The results of this
study indicated that the prevalence of TB/HIV co-infection was high among IVDUs and
Malay males who were in the economically productive age group. There was no
significant relationship between the various lifestyle of the patients (IVDU, smoking and
alcohol consumption) and the different stages of the TB disease. However, this could
have been due to the large number of unknown data in this study.
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Keywords
Evaluation of tb/hiv-aids status in Malaysia , Clinical and microbiological outcomes