BED OCCUPANCY DUE TO HIV AIDS IN AN URBAN HOSPITAL MEDICAL WARD IN UGANDA/

Objective: To determine the proportion of patents with HIV-related ill ness admitted to a medical ward. Design: A prospective study. Setting: Rubaga Hospital, the third largest hospital in Kampala, the capital o f Uganda. Participants: A total of 449 patients admitted to the medica l ward between September and November 1992. Results: Of the 449 patent s, 390 (86.8%) agreed to provide a blood sample for HIV serology. Of t hese, 55.6% (95% confidence interval, 50.7-60.5%) were positive for HI V. Eighty-six (22.2%) of all patients [71 (33%) of the seropositives a nd six (3.5%) of the seronegatives] met the World Health Organization case definition for AIDS in Africa. The HIV-seropositives had a mortal ity rate of 17.4%, significantly higher (P = 0.00057) than the 5.8% ra te observed in the seronegative group. The overall mortality rate was 13.7% and was significantly associated with HIV infection (P = 0.0005) . Conclusion: HIV infection is a major contributor to morbidity and mo rtality in Uganda. Over 50% of the medical admissions were HIV-positiv e revealing the serious impact of HIV on the health-care system.