High percentage of young men with meningitis in HIV positive patients: A tertiary hospital study from South India

Abstract

To describe the demographic characteristics of HIV patients with meningitis. Study Design: Cross-sectional, observational. Methods: We studied the age, sex, occupation and etiological profile of meningitis in 116 people living with HIV from a tertiary care hospital in India over a period of four years. Results: Fifty four percent of the patients were young adults [<35 years]. They were overwhelmingly of the male sex [70.4%] and were more commonly employed in performing manual labour [71.4%] occupations for daily living. Tuberculous [82.6%] meningitis was the most common aetiology. Conclusion: A focused clinical approach and public health program targeting this particular population at risk is much-needed.