TY  - BOOK
AU  - David, Ruchwanisa. G 
AU  - Kanenda, Said
TI  -  Prevalence and risk factors of cryptococcal meningitis among adult HIV positive patients in the test-and-treat era at Bugando Medical Centre, Mwanza, Tanzania
PY  - 0000///  ©29.032020///
CY  - Mwanza, Tanzania : 
PB  - Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences [CUHAS - Bugando], Phone: +255 28 298 3384,           Fax: +255 28 298 3386 :   ,       Email: vc@bugando.ac.tz : , Website: www.bugando.ac.tz : 
KW  -  
N2  - Abstract: 

Background: Cryptococcal meningitis is an inflammation of meanings (brain and spinal cord covering) due to a fungus called Cryptococcus neoformans. It is one of the opportunistic infections that affects more people who are immunosuppressed like those having HIV/AIDS, patients receiving chemotherapy and organ transplant. In HIV/AIDS, the risk is high among those with lower CD4 count of less than 200 cell/ml. It is a fatal infection capable of causing severe neurological manifestation and if detected late may results to death. This study aims a finding the prevalence and factors associated with this infection among the HIV positive population attending at care and treatment centre of Bugando medical centre. 

Methodology: A retrospective study done involving data collected from file of HIV patients admitted at Bugando medical centre from January 2018 to December 2019, data was then entered and analyzed using SPSS version 20.

Results: A total of 195 adult participants were enrolled in the study. Their age was above 18 years. Most participants presented with headache (32.8%), neck stiffness (27.2%) and convulsion (20.5%). 17.4% had positive Brudzinski sign, 24.1% had positive Kerning sign, 25.1% had positive CSF CrAg, 27.7% had CD4 count <200 cells/ml and 37.4% had poor ART adherence. The prevalence was 25.13%.

Conclusion: This study revealed the prevalence of Cryptococcal meningitis of 25.13% majority of these patients had poor adherence to ART, lack of strict supervision on the use of ART and late presentation to the hospital due to lack of awareness of the condition, this necessitating an awareness building a close follow up of patients with lower CD4 count levels at our care and treatment centers.

ER  -