Three years of AIDS. Experience of the Curry Cabral Hospital with HIV infections (1985-1988).

Abstract

The AA. present a retrospective study on their experience with HIV positive patients, followed on the Infectious Diseases Department of the Hospital Curry Cabral, in Lisbon. This study was done in 90 patients seen since 1985 till March 1988. From the 90 patients, 81 were HIV--1 positive, 6 HIV--2 and 3 HIV1 + HIV2 positives. It is presented their distribution by sex (Male = 97.8%), age (mean--36.5 years), risk groups (homosexuals--64.4%, heterosexuals--21.1%, IVDA--7.7%, blood-related--5.6%), and their Walter Reed and CDC classifications. It is emphasised the increasing incidence of infected people along the years and an unexpected high rate of heterosexual males infected. It is also pointed the incidence of Kaposi (22%), Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (55.6%), and Criptococosis (13.9%) in the WR6 group. The mortality rate was 31.3% for WR5 and 63.9% for WR6. We calculate some Relative Risks for clinical situations matched with risk groups and immunological status (meaning the T Helper lymphocitic count), and measured their statistical significance with the chi-square test. Besides the immunodeficiency, it was mentioned the associated lymphadenopathy and dermatological lesions, the HIV encephalopathy and the constitutional symptoms of the wasting syndrome.