ORIGINAL: An Evaluation of Renal Care received by Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Patients admitted in a Tertiary Hospital in Sierra Leone

West Afr J Med . 2022 Nov 30;39(11):1188-1192.

Abstract

Introduction: The burden of HIV is on the rise and patients with HIV are also vulnerable to renal impairment from both acute and chronic causes. This study sets out to evaluate renal care received by such patients.

Methods: The study was conducted at Connaught Hospital, the main tertiary hospital (for medical and surgical cases) in the country. A retrospective review of all admitted patients with HIV between January and December 2019. Data was collected using a well- structured study proforma.

Results: A total of 230 patients were admitted with HIV during the study period. The mean age of patients was 36.9 ± (11.5) years with a female preponderance of 61.3%. A vast majority of the patients (54.8%) could afford to do some renal investigations and only 13.9% were seen by renal physicians; 69.1% of patients with azotaemia died while on admission.

Conclusion: The extent of renal care observed from the study was poor because the majority of the patients were not seen by renal physicians and could not afford renal investigations. Also, the occurrence of renal impairment in patients with HIV suggests a poor prognosis.

Keywords: HIV patients; Renal care; Sierra Leone; Tertiary hospital.

J Coker ^1 2, A Niang ³, I Turay ², S Lakoh ^1 2, V Conteh ^1 2, J B W Russell ^1 2