Publication:

Pattern of HIV infected meningitis patient investigated in a tertiary care institute of eastern India

Background This study was started in the aim of determining the pattern of meningitis and their clinico-laboratorial presentation among HIV infected patients.

Methods This secondary data based cross-sectional study was conducted on 2010 in a tertiary care institute of eastern India among HIV infected meningitis patients. From June 2009 to May 2010, 92 patients were included in our study. Bed head tickets, laboratory reports and registers were used for data collection. Chi square test was applied for the test of significance.

Results 70.7% cryptococcal and 29.3% tubercular meningitis cases were found. Mean CD4 cell count, CSF protein, CSF glucose, WBC cell count of TB and cryptococcal meningitis patients were 143 cells/cumm, 546.1 mg/dl, 26.8 mg/dl, 550 cells/ cumm and 175 cells/ cumm, 189.1 mg/dl, 30.1 mg/dl, 36 cells/ cumm respectively. 29.2% patients of Cryptococcal meningitis were presented with mental change, confusion or psychological disorders, but these symptoms were not observed among TB meningitis patients.

Conclusions This study provided a baseline data about epidemiology and clino-laboratorial features of HIV meningitis patients of eastern India and will help for further investigation in this field.