Ausência de associação entre estado nutricional e mudança de categoria clínica em crianças brasileiras infectadas pelo HIV

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Malnutrition is common among HIV-infected children. Our objective was to study the occurrence of malnutrition and its relationship with changes in clinical category among HIV-infected children. DESIGN AND SETTING: Longitudinal study, at the Pediatrics Department and Pediatrics Investigation Center (CIPED), Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp). METHODS: We reviewed the hospital records of 127 vertically HIV-infected children. Anthropometric measurements were obtained at the beginning of follow-up, at clinical category change and five months later. These were converted to z-scores of weight/age, height/age and weight/height. Data were presented as means, standard deviations, frequency counts and percentages. The Wilcoxon and Kruskal-Wallis tests and odds ratios were used in the analysis. RESULTS: We found that 51 (40.2%) were undernourished and 40 (31.5%) were stunted, with higher risk of being included in clinical category C. There was an association between nutritional condition and the clinical categories of the Centers for Disease Control classification (1994), and with age at symptom onset (except for height z-score). During follow-up, 36 patients (28.4%) changed their clinical category, which occurred early among the undernourished patients. The group that changed its clinical category maintained the same z-score distribution for weight, height and weight/height throughout follow-up. CONCLUSION: Aids manifestation severity was associated with nutritional status and with age at symptom onset, but change in clinical category was not followed by worsening of nutritional status.Malnutrition is common among HIV-infected children. Our objective was to study the occurrence of malnutrition and its relationship with changes in clinical category among HIV-infected children. DESIGN AND SETTING: Longitudinal study, at the Pediatrics Department and Pediatrics Investigation Center (CIPED), Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp). METHODS: We reviewed the hospital records of 127 vertically HIV-infected children. Anthropometric measurements were obtained at the beginning of follow-up, at clinical category change and five months later. These were converted to z-scores of weight/age, height/age and weight/height. Data were presented as means, standard deviations, frequency counts and percentages. The Wilcoxon and Kruskal-Wallis tests and odds ratios were used in the analysis. RESULTS: We found that 51 (40.2%) were undernourished and 40 (31.5%) were stunted, with higher risk of being included in clinical category C. There was an association between nutritional condition and the clinical categories of the Centers for Disease Control classification (1994), and with age at symptom onset (except for height z-score). During follow-up, 36 patients (28.4%) changed their clinical category, which occurred early among the undernourished patients. The group that changed its clinical category maintained the same z-score distribution for weight, height and weight/height throughout follow-up. CONCLUSION: Aids manifestation severity was associated with nutritional status and with age at symptom onset, but change in clinical category was not followed by worsening of nutritional status12326265A ocorrência de desnutrição é freqüente em crianças com infecção pelo HIV. O objetivo do estudo foi estudar a ocorrência de desnutrição e sua relação com a mudança de categoria clínica em crianças infectadas pelo HIV. TIPO DE ESTUDO E LOCAL: Estudo longitudinal, no Departamento de Pediatria e Centro de Investigação em Pediatria (CIPED). Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp). MÉTODOS: Revisamos os prontuários de 127 pacientes com infecção perinatal pelo HIV com o propósito de obter medidas de peso e estatura no início do acompanhamento ambulatorial, no momento da mudança de categoria clínica e cinco meses após a mudança. Estes dados foram transformados em z-escores de peso/idade, altura/idade e peso/altura. Os testes de Wilcoxon, Kruskal-Wallis e o cálculo da razão de chances foram usados. RESULTADOS: 51 (40,2%) das crianças avaliadas apresentavam desnutrição, sendo 40 (31,5%) com comprometimento de altura, e portanto com maior risco de inclusão na categoria clínica C. Encontramos associação entre condição nutricional, categoria clínica e idade no início dos sintomas. 36 (28,4%) pacientes mudaram de categoria clínica durante o acompanhamento, e a mudança ocorreu em idade mais precoce entre os desnutridos. O grupo que mudou de categoria clínica manteve as mesmas distribuições de z-escore de peso, altura e peso/altura durante o acompanhamento. CONCLUSÃO: A gravidade das manifestações da aids associa-se com a condição nutricional e com a idade de início dos sintomas. A mudança de categoria clínica não se acompanhou de piora no estado nutricional.CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Malnutrition is common among HIV-infected children. Our objective was to study the occurrence of malnutrition and its relationship with changes in clinical category among HIV-infected children. DESIGN AND SETTING: Longitudinal study, at the Pediatrics Department and Pediatrics Investigation Center (CIPED), Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp). METHODS: We reviewed the hospital records of 127 vertically HIV-infected children. Anthropometric measurements were obtained at the beginning of follow-up, at clinical category change and five months later. These were converted to z-scores of weight/age, height/age and weight/height. Data were presented as means, standard deviations, frequency counts and percentages. The Wilcoxon and Kruskal-Wallis tests and odds ratios were used in the analysis. RESULTS: We found that 51 (40.2%) were undernourished and 40 (31.5%) were stunted, with higher risk of being included in clinical category C. There was an association between nutritional condition and the clinical categories of the Centers for Disease Control classification (1994), and with age at symptom onset (except for height z-score). During follow-up, 36 patients (28.4%) changed their clinical category, which occurred early among the undernourished patients. The group that changed its clinical category maintained the same z-score distribution for weight, height and weight/height throughout follow-up. CONCLUSION: Aids manifestation severity was associated with nutritional status and with age at symptom onset, but change in clinical category was not followed by worsening of nutritional statu