CLINICAL AND EPIDEMIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF OPPORTUNISTIC INFECTIONS OF HIV/AIDS PATIENTS ADMITTED TO THE ADULT ICU OF AN INFECTIOUS DISEASES REFERENCE HOSPITAL IN GOIÁS

Abstract

Introduction: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is characterized as an infectious disease caused by Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and emerged as an epidemic in the late 1970s, becoming one of the most serious public health problems in the world. AIDS is defined by the appearance of opportunistic infections and neoplasms. Objective: To describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of opportunistic infections of HIV/AIDS patients admitted to the adult ICU of an Infectious Diseases Reference Hospital in Goiás between January 1 and December 31, 2022. Methodology: Epidemiological and cross-sectional study, with a quantitative approach, based on secondary data whose inclusion criteria were HIV/AIDS patients with confirmed clinical and/or laboratory diagnosis of opportunistic infection. Results: During the study, 68 patients were eligible, the majority were male (72.1%), aged between 25 and 44 years (70.5%), brown (95.6%), single (82.4%) and with incomplete primary education (38.2%).  Death was significantly associated with length of hospital stay, LT-CD4+ count <200 cells/mm³, viral load > 100,000 copies/ml and lack of adherence to antiretroviral therapy. The most prevalent symptoms were asthenia (61.8%), cachexia (54.4%) and fever (51.5%). Cytomegalic disease (82.4%) was the most frequent, followed by toxoplasmosis (51.5%) and candidiasis (42.6%). Conclusion: Late diagnosis and high lethality are noteworthy, despite the advances and achievements of public policies aimed at people living with HIV, such as testing and counseling services, which guarantee the population's access to early diagnosis, and antiretroviral treatment.