Department of Obs and Gynaecology, Hawassa Univeristy, P.O.Box 1560, Ethiopia
Berhan, Y., Department of Obs and Gynaecology, Hawassa Univeristy, P.O.Box 1560, Ethiopia
Background: In HIV-infected children, assessment of liver and renal functions, growth pattern, hematologic and immunologic profiles is highly recommended. However, no study has evaluated the regularity of these kinds of assessment in hospital population. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the regularity of selected haematological, biochemical and anthropometric monitoring. Methods: A Multi-Centre Retrospective Cohort Study was done to analyze 1163 HIV-infected children who had follow up in seven public hospitals in Ethiopia. The frequency of the following measures was used as a proxy indicator of the quality of assessment: weight & height measurement, absolute CD4 count, haemoglobin level and Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT). Paired sample t-test was done to evaluate the change in weight, haemoglobin and SGOT levels. Results: Initially, for all children CD4 and haemoglobin levels were assessed. At 6 and 24 months after start of ART, the proportion of children with a CD4 assessment was 68% and 37% respectively; 55% and 28%for haemoglobin; 62.7% and 6.4% for weight; and, 47% and 23% for SGOT. Mean weight for children age ten years and above, and mean height for children age two years and above was below the 5"1 percentile. Initially and at 24 months, the prevalence of all types of anemia was about 50% and 7%, respectively. There were no children with severe hepatotoxicity. Cnclusion: The proportion of children being assessed for CD4, haemoglobin, SGOT and weight measures were initially two-third and markedly declined as the cohort progressed. The prevalence of anemia after two years follow up reduced by about 8-fold, growth appears to be poor in older children while hepatotoxicity is observed to be a rare phenomenon.
anti human immunodeficiency virus agent; aspartate aminotransferase; adolescent; anemia; anthropometry; article; blood; body height; body weight; CD4 lymphocyte count; child; drug effect; Ethiopia; evaluation; female; follow up; health care delivery; human; Human immunodeficiency virus infection; infant; liver; male; newborn; practice guideline; preschool child; prevalence; retrospective study; standard; treatment outcome; Adolescent; Anemia; Anthropometry; Anti-HIV Agents; Aspartate Aminotransferases; Body Height; Body Weight; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Child; Child, Preschool; Delivery of Health Care; Ethiopia; Female; Follow-Up Studies; HIV Infections; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Liver; Male; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Prevalence; Retrospective Studies; Treatment Outcome
