2024/10/10 by Baba, Musa Mohammed, Abdul, Habu, Ayodele, Ayoola Yekeen +2
#Arrhythmia #CD4 cells count #HIV #Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy #viral load
paper · doi:10.60787/tnhj.v24i3.836
Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pandemic continues to be a major public health problem globally. The advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy has changed the natural history of HIV as well as the morbidity and mortality associated with the disease. However, patients living with HIV infection remain at increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and sudden cardiac death. Diverse electrocardiographic abnormalities were reported among HIV infected patients. However, to the best of our knowledge, there are few studies on patterns of arrhythmias among HIV infected patients in northeastern part of Nigeria. Method: It was a cross-sectional study conducted among HIV infected patients receiving highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) at the Federal Medical Centre Nguru, Yobe State, North Eastern Nigeria. Result: One hundred (100) subjects were recruited into the study comprising thirty-three (33.0%) males and 67(67.0%) females. The mean CD4 cells count and viral load of the studied patients were 614.99 ± 34.92 cells/μL and 4654±58.79 copies/mL, respectively. The commonest cardiac rhythm was sinus rhythm, followed by sinus tachycardia and atrial fibrillation. Other abnormalities observed includes: First degree atrioventricular block, nonspecific intraventricular conduction defect, right bundle branch block, left bundle branch block and left posterior hemi block. Conclusion: In conclusion, the study revealed that premature ventricular contractions both (unifocal and multifocal) are the commonest cardiac arrhythmias, while sinus tachycardia and non-specific intraventricular conduction defect are the second common cardiac arrhythmias, the study further revealed that low CD4 cells count and high viral load were found to be associated with diverse cardiac arrhythmias.