846 Opportunistic Infections of Sida Preschool Patients
Background: AIDS is now a pandemic in children. Asymptomatic children with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection cannot be distinguished from children without infection. Opportunistic infections are common in children with AIDS. Aims: Describe the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) among all children with opportunistic infections in Bosnia. Methods: The control group was composed of six boys and six girls for every year age class between one day and six years. Children were included from the study when they presented with a opportunistic infectious disease at the time of planned investigation assessment. Results: Children are underrepresented among recipients of antiretroviral therapy in almost every setting in Bosnia where treatment programs have been established. HIV-affected children and HIV-infected children had a significantly poorer socioeconomic living standard compared with control children. Ninety percent of the sample had been diagnosed with HIV before three years of age; the mean age of diagnosis for this sample was eleven months. Among the groups at highest risk for suprainfections of HIV infection were newborns from infected SIDA mothers. Conclusions: The prevention of opportunistics HIV infections in children and its consequent illness must be the primary component of any education program. Pediatricians and specialist for infectious diseases can play an important role in educating parents about opportunistic infection of HIV prevention, transmission, and testing, with an emphasis on risk reduction.