GUNTUR: In a study conducted by the Guntur GGH, early deaths were observed in HIV-positive patients. Fever, weakness of limbs and headaches were common in such patients with more than half of them were diagnosed with tuberculosis meningitis (TBM), it said.
Head of the neurology department of the hospital, Dr NV Sundarachari, said the study was conducted on 60 HIV-positive patients, between 10 and 38 years of age, from various socio-economic and cultural backgrounds; 25 of them were women. “TBM is common among HIV positive patients, and it is followed by other neurological emergencies such as stroke, seizures and epilepsy,” he said.
He said that the study suggested that neuro physicians, who dealt with HIV positive patients, should consider this possibility early and investigate/treat accordingly.
The study also reported a high proportion of infectious causesGiven the high prevalence of TB in the region and the immunosuppression in HIV-infected individuals, this finding is expected, Dr Sundarachari said.