Are you T Jennings?

Claim your profile

Publications (3)14.62 Total impact

  • Article: Bacteriologically confirmed tuberculosis in HIV-infected infants: disease spectrum and survival.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has resulted in epidemiological shifts with an emergence of tuberculosis (TB) amongst HIV-infected women and infants. There are limited data on the TB disease spectrum and outcome amongst HIV-infected infants. We describe the clinical characteristics, treatment and survival of HIV-infected infants with culture-confirmed TB. This retrospective hospital-based study from Cape Town, South Africa, used routine laboratory-based surveillance among infants diagnosed with culture-confirmed TB from 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2006. Folder and chest radiographic review were completed and vitality status established. TB was classified as pulmonary, extra-pulmonary or disseminated disease. Of 52 infants, 37 (71.1%) had pulmonary, 2 (3.9%) extra-pulmonary only, 7 (13.5%) pulmonary and extra-pulmonary and 6 (11.5%) disseminated TB. Forty-six (88.5%) were started anti-tuberculosis therapy; 37 (71.2%) received antiretroviral therapy (ART) and 17 (32.7%) died, 10 (19.2%) of whom never started ART. HIV stage 4 disease was associated with death. TB treatment outcome was poorly documented. TB is associated with advanced HIV disease and high mortality in HIV-infected infants. Missed opportunities for initiation of ART were frequent. Although the effects of young age, TB disease spectrum and HIV co-infection are difficult to distinguish, our findings support the initiation of early ART in HIV-infected infants with TB.
    The international journal of tuberculosis and lung disease: the official journal of the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease 06/2011; 15(6):770-5. · 2.73 Impact Factor
  • Article: Bacteriologically confirmed tuberculosis in HIV-infected infants: disease spectrum and survival
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has resulted in epidemiological shifts with an emergence of tuberculosis (TB) amongst HIV-infected women and infants. There are limited data on the TB disease spectrum and outcome amongst HIV-infected infants.OBJECTIVES: We describe the clinical characteristics, treatment and survival of HIV-infected infants with culture-confirmed TB.METHODS: This retrospective hospital-based study from Cape Town, South Africa, used routine laboratory-based surveillance among infants diagnosed with culture-confirmed TB from 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2006. Folder and chest radiographic review were completed and vitality status established. TB was classified as pulmonary, extra-pulmonary or disseminated disease.RESULTS: Of 52 infants, 37 (71.1%) had pulmonary, 2 (3.9%) extra-pulmonary only, 7 (13.5%) pulmonary and extra-pulmonary and 6 (11.5%) disseminated TB. Forty-six (88.5%) were started anti-tuberculosis therapy; 37 (71.2%) received antiretroviral therapy (ART) and 17 (32.7%) died, 10 (19.2%) of whom never started ART. HIV stage 4 disease was associated with death. TB treatment outcome was poorly documented.CONCLUSIONS: TB is associated with advanced HIV disease and high mortality in HIV-infected infants. Missed opportunities for initiation of ART were frequent. Although the effects of young age, TB disease spectrum and HIV co-infection are difficult to distinguish, our findings support the initiation of early ART in HIV-infected infants with TB.
    The international journal of tuberculosis and lung disease: the official journal of the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease 05/2011; 15(6):770-775. · 2.73 Impact Factor
  • Article: High incidence of tuberculosis among HIV-infected infants: evidence from a South African population-based study highlights the need for improved tuberculosis control strategies.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: There are limited population-based estimates of tuberculosis incidence among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected and HIV-uninfected infants aged < or =12 months. We aimed to estimate the population-based incidence of culture-confirmed tuberculosis among HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected infants in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. The incidences of pulmonary, extrapulmonary, and disseminated tuberculosis were estimated over a 3-year period (2004-2006) with use of prospective representative hospital surveillance data of the annual number of culture-confirmed tuberculosis cases among infants. The total number of HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected infants was calculated using population-based estimates of the total number of live infants and the annual maternal HIV prevalence and vertical HIV transmission rates. There were 245 infants with culture-confirmed tuberculosis. The overall incidences of tuberculosis were 1596 cases per 100,000 population among HIV-infected infants (95% confidence interval [CI], 1151-2132 cases per 100,000 population) and 65.9 cases per 100,000 population among HIV-uninfected infants (95% CI, 56-75 cases per 100,000 population). The relative risk of culture-confirmed tuberculosis among HIV-infected infants was 24.2 (95% CI, 17-34). The incidences of disseminated tuberculosis were 240.9 cases per 100,000 population (95% CI, 89-433 cases per 100,000 population) among HIV-infected infants and 14.1 cases per 100,000 population (95% CI, 10-18 cases per 100,000 population) among HIV-uninfected infants (relative risk, 17.1; 95% CI, 6-34). This study indicates the magnitude of the tuberculosis disease burden among HIV-infected infants and provides population-based comparative incidence rates of tuberculosis among HIV-infected infants. This high risk of tuberculosis among HIV-infected infants is of great concern and may be attributable to an increased risk of tuberculosis exposure, increased immune-mediated tuberculosis susceptibility, and/or possible limited protective effect of bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccination. Improved tuberculosis control strategies, including maternal tuberculosis screening, contact tracing of tuberculosis-exposed infants coupled with preventive chemotherapy, and effective vaccine strategies, are needed for infants in settings where HIV infection and tuberculosis are highly endemic.
    Clinical Infectious Diseases 01/2009; 48(1):108-14. · 9.15 Impact Factor