Prevalence of Some Hematological Abnormalities among HIV Positive Patients on Their First Visit to a Tertiary Health Institution in Ethiopia; A Cross Sectional Study

Aim: The main objective of this study was to identify the magnitude of hematological abnormalities among HIV patients on their first visit to antiretroviral treatment (ART) centers.

Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 189 HIV positive patients, visiting University of Gondar Hospital, Ethiopia. Blood sample was analyzed for hematological parameters and CD4 count. Frequencies (%), mean (SD) or median (IQR) were used to summarize data according to the type of variable. Independent sample t-test and chi-square test were used as appropriate and in all cases P<0.05 was considered significant.

Results: The mean (±SD) age of the participants was 33.2 (±9.3) years. The prevalence of anemia, leucopenia and thrombocytopenia were 42.3%, 4.8% and 12.7% respectively. Immunosupression was found in 83.1% of the individuals. CD4 count with leucopenia (P<0.0001) was the factor that showed significant association.

Conclusion: The prevalence of hematological abnormalities in this study was high and nearly half of the patients were eligible to start antiretroviral therapy. Researches that explore the clinical presentations of HIV positive patients on their first visit to ART centers and hematological changes after initiation of treatment need to be conducted.