Relative frequency of infections among hospitalized injecting drug user-HIV positive patients in Razi hospital, Ahvaz, SW Iran (2001-2003)

Frequency of infections in Injecting Drug Users (IDU) varies in different areasaccording to socioeconomic and geographic situation as well as HumanImmunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection rate. The present study was performed todetermine the frequency of infections in IDU-HIV positive patients. Forty known casesof HIV infected (by positive ELISA and western blot tests) were investigated for variousinfections in Razi hospital in Ahvaz, South West of Iran during 2001–2003. Medicalcharts including age, duration of addiction, imprisonment, site of infection, signs andsymptoms, laboratory findings, imaging result and echocardiography report wereprepared. Data were analyzed in SPSS software by using descriptive statistical methods.Forty IDU-HIV positive male patients with a mean age of 25±6.3 years were included inthis study. More than 50% of patients had a history of imprisonment. Bacterial infectiondiagnosed in 40% and viral infection in 100%. Three patients died due to mixedinfection and AIDS. The obtained rate of infections in IDU-HIV positive in Ahvaz wasvery higher than expected. Rapid diagnosis of above mentioned infections, appropriatemanagement and treatment can prevent or postpone progressing of AIDS.