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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Evaluation of tb/hiv-aids status in Malaysia , Clinical and microbiological outcomes
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