Browsing by Author "O'Connor, M."

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    HIV seroprevalence and its relation to bone infection, bone tumours and limb reconstruction patients in a South African tertiary hospital
    (South African Orthopaedic Association, 2017-11) Kruger, N.; O'Connor, M.; Ferreira, N.; Marais, L. C.
    BACKGROUND: HIV infection causes a relative immunodeficient state, potentially predisposing patients to osseous infection. It is also associated with non-AIDS defining cancers, and has been described in patients with limb girdle sarcomas and malignant fibrohistiocytic tumours. HIV is further known to suppress cells important in bone healing; however, it is unclear whether bone tumours and mal- or non-unions are more prevalent in patients with HIV. This study aimed to determine the HIV seroprevalence of patients attending a tumour, sepsis and reconstruction (TSR) unit, and explore its relationship to bone infection, bone tumours and patients undergoing limb reconstruction. METHODS: A retrospective review of all adult patients treated over a three-year period was performed. Patients were stratified according to pathology into bone infection, bone tumour, and limb reconstruction categories. Each patient had an opt-in HIV test as part of routine workup. Recruitment, prevalence and statistically significant relationship were then calculated relative to the HIV-uninfected cohort. RESULTS: Nine-hundred-and-six patients were included, 21.3% of whom were HIV positive. There were 313 patients with bone infection, 263 patients with bone tumours, and 330 limb reconstruction patients. All groups were similar in HIV prevalence. There was no statistically significant difference between the HIV-positive or -negative patients in any of the groups. CONCLUSION: This series found no significant difference in the incidence of bone infections, bone tumours or the need for limb reconstruction, between HIV-positive and -negative patients.