Causes of hospitalization and predictors of HIV-associated mortality at the main referral hospital in Sierra Leone: a prospective study

Background HIV infection is a growing public health problem in Sierra Leone and the wider West Africa region. The countrywide HIV prevalence was estimated at 1.7% (67,000 people), with less than 30% receiving life-saving ART in 2016. Thus, HIV-infected patients tend to present to health facilities late, with high mortality risk. Methods We conducted a prospective study of HIV inpatients aged ≥15 years at Connaught Hospital in Freetown—the main referral hospital in Sierra Leone—from July through September 2017, to assess associated factors and predictors of HIV-related mortality. Results One hundred seventy-three HIV inpatients were included, accounting for 14.2% (173/1221) of all hospital admissions during the study period. The majority were female (59.5%, 70/173), median age was 34 years, with 51.4% (89/173) of them diagnosed with HIV infection for the first time during the current hospitalization. The most common admitting diagnoses were anemia (48%, 84/173), tuberculosis (24.3%, 42/173), pneumonia (17.3%, 30/173) and diarrheal illness (15.0%, 26/173). CD4 count was obtained in 64.7% (112/173) of patients, with median value of 87 cells/μL (IQR 25–266), and was further staged as severe immunosuppression: CD4 < 100 cells/μL (50%, 56/112); AIDS: CD4 < 200 cells/μL (69.6%, 78/112); and late-stage HIV disease: CD4 < 350 cells/μL (83%, 93/112). Fifty-two patients (30.1%, 52/173) died during hospitalization, 23% (12/52) of them within the first week. The leading causes of death were anemia (23.1%, 12/52), pneumonia (19.2%, 10/52), diarrheal illness (15.4%, 8/52) and tuberculosis (13.6%, 7/52). Neurological symptoms, i.e., loss of consciousness ( p = 0.04) and focal limb weakness ( p = 0.04); alcohol use ( p = 0.01); jaundice ( p = 0.02); cerebral toxoplasmosis ( p = 0.01); and tuberculosis ( p = 0.04) were significantly associated with mortality; however, only jaundice (AOR 0.11, 95% CI [0.02–0.65]; p = 0.01) emerged as an independent predictor of mortality. Conclusion HIV-infected patients account for a substantial proportion of admissions at Connaught Hospital, with a high morbidity and in-hospital mortality burden. These findings necessitate the implementation of specific measures to enhance early HIV diagnosis and expand treatment access to all HIV-infected patients in Sierra Leone.