Table 1.
Characteristics of HIV positive patients with suspected CM at KNH and MDH, August 2008 – February 2009.
| Characteristic | Total N=340 (%) | CM Positive n=111(%) | CM Negative n=229 (%) | P Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sex | ||||
| Male | 162 (47.5) | 64 (57.7) | 98 (43.0) | 0.01 |
| Female | 178 (52.5) | 47 (42.3) | 131 (57.0) | |
| Age (in years) | ||||
| Median (Range) | 35 (17–65) | 35 (19–60) | 35 (17–65) | 1.0 |
| Education | ||||
| Primary | 168 (49.1) | 52 (46.0) | 116 (51.1) | 0.39 |
| Secondary/Vocational | 172 (50.9) | 59 (54.0) | 113 (48.9) | |
| On Antiretroviral drugs | ||||
| Yes | 104 (30.6) | 33 (29.7) | 71 (31.0) | 0.81 |
| No | 236 (69.4) | 78 (70.3) | 158 (69.0) | |
| Prior use of antifungal drugs | ||||
| Yes | 101 (29.7) | 48 (43.2) | 38 (16.6) | <0.01 |
| No | 239 (70.3) | 63 (56.8) | 191 (83.4) | |
| First time hospitalization* | ||||
| Yes | 319 (93.8) | 99 (89.2) | 220 (96.1) | 0.01 |
| No | 21 (6.2) | 12 (10.8) | 9 (3.9) | |
| Clinical outcomes | ||||
| Discharged alive | 221 (65.0) | 68/106 (64.0) | 139/211 (66.0) | <0.78 |
| In-hospital mortality | 119 (35.0) | 38/106 (36.0) | 72/211 (34.0) | |
| CD4 cell count (cells/μL) | ||||
| <100 | 153/269 (57.0) | 66/88 (75.0) | 87/181 (48.1) | <0.01 |
| 100–200 | 46/269 (17.0) | 11/88 (12.5) | 35/181 (19.3) | |
| >200 | 70/269 (26.0) | 41 (2–720) | 104 (1–1089) | <0.01 |
| CD4 cell count (cells/μL) | ||||
| Median (Range) | 72 (1–1089) | 41 (2–720) | 104 (1–1089) | <0.01 |
| Viral load (RNA levels, Copies/ML) | ||||
| <100,000 | 82/177 (46.3) | 18/55 (32.7) | 64/122 (53.0) | 0.01 |
| >100,000 | 95/177 (53.7) | 37/55 (67.3) | 57/122 (47.0) | |
| Viral load (RNA levels, Copies/ML) | ||||
| Median (Range) | 164,000 (<40–10 million) | 376,000 (<40–6 million) | 49,000 (<40–10 million) | <0.01 |
| Concurrent morbidity | ||||
| Tuberculosis | 111/191 (74.5) | 45/56 (80.4) | 66/93 (71.0) | 0.32 |
| Malaria | 17/191 (11.4) | 4/56 (7.1) | 13/93 (14.0) | |
| Pneumonia | 10/191 (6.7) | 2/56 (3.6) | 8/93 (8.6) | |
| Other+ | 11/191 (7.4) | 5/56 (8.9) | 6/93 (6.5) | |
| Time to Discharge | ||||
| Median Days (Range) | 14 (0–90) | 19 (0–90) | 11 (1–50) | <0.01 |
| Time to Death | ||||
| Median Days (Range) | 8 (2–73) | 8 (2–73) | 8 (2–33) | 1.0 |
| Signs and symptoms at presentation | ||||
| Headache | 274 (80.6) | 103 (92.8) | 171 (74.7) | <0.0001 |
| Coughs | 161 (47.4) | 42 (38.0) | 119 (52.0) | 0.01 |
| Night sweats | 121 (35.6) | 25 (22.5) | 96 (41.9) | 0.0005 |
| Blurred vision | 74 (21.8) | 39 (35.1) | 35 (15.3) | <0.0001 |
| Neck stiffness | 211 (62.1) | 76 (68.5) | 135 (59.0) | 0.09 |
| Altered mental status | 178 (52.4) | 50 (45.1) | 128 (55.9) | 0.06 |
Values in bold are statistically significant at p<0.05
Chi square was used for categorical data and student t-test for continuous variables.
CM = Cryptococcal meningitis
KNH = Kenyatta National Hospital
MDH = Mbagathi District Hospital
Denominators included to show missing values
*
First time hospitalisation for suspected CM
+
Other concurrent morbidities were herpes, diabetes, hypertension and osteoarthritis.