NEUROLOGICAL CO-INFECTIONS’ ANALYSIS IN HIV/AIDS PATIENTS AT AN INFECTOLOGY REFERENCE UNIT IN MATO GROSSO DO SUL

Resumo

BACKGROUND: Many infectious and parasitic diseases are described as possible
causes of cognitive impairment, highlighting neuroinfections which for locating in
Central Nervous System (CNS) can evolve into dementia. Neurological co-infections
occurs frequently in HIV type 1 (HIV-1) infected patients and are significantly
affected in their functional capacities, life quality and survivability. OBJECTIVE: To
analyze an epidemiological profile of patients with neurological co-infections
resulting of HIV-AIDS that do a daily treatment in a infectology reference unit in
Mato Grosso do Sul. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study, retrospective
character of quantitative approach. Data collection was performed through paper
records and Institutional Information System during January to June of 2017. After
this, it was identified HIV-infected patients which presented neurological coinfections.
Will be analyzed the variables: age, percentage of total patients with and
without co-infection in CNS, time of HIV diagnosis, principal co-infection, sex, age
group and sequelae. RESULTS: from de total of patients that do diary treatment at
this institution, 53,6% had neurological co-infection between January and June of
2017. The main neurological opportunistic infections are: CNS Cryiptococcosis,
Neurosyphilis and Neurotoxoplasmosis. From these, 68% are man, 14% had some
sequelae, 59% have a time of HIV diagnosis less than 5 years and the predominant
age group is 29 to 35 years old. CONCLUSION: the development of HIV-associated
neurological disorders depends on several factors as the history of antiretroviral
therapy, degree of immunosuppression and molecular biology of the viral strain,
specially its neurovirulence. It is important to note about the late diagnoses of HIV
infection which increases the propensity to occur those neurological disorders.
Therefore is necessary more knowledge about the patients and their comorbidities
for a preventive and diagnostic approach in order to minimize the cognitive
damages in patients with neuroinfections.