Infections in hospitalised Russian children with AIDS.

Objectives: (1) To determine the most common infections in hospitalised children with AIDS. (2) To identify the pathogens causing the above infections. (3) To investigate the possibility of nosocomial transmission of potential pathogens in a Russian AIDS hospital.

Setting: Russian AIDS Hospital for Children.

Subjects And Methods: Swabs/samples of skin, mouth, nose, urine and stool were collected from 95 hospitalised children with AIDS, 12 of their mothers and 11 health care workers in contact with the children. Hospital objects were also sampled. The predominant isolates from the infection sites were speciated. Antibiotic sensitivity profiles, phagotyping and gel electrophoresis of cell lysates were used for the epidemiological marking of Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Results: Oral infections were the most prevalent infections in this study group. The most frequently isolated micro-organisms were C. albicans, S. aureus, K. pneumoniae and Escherichia coli. The results of the epidemiological study suggests nosocomial transmission of these strains.

Conclusions: The present chemoprophylaxis programme for opportunistic oral infections requires revision. Systems of microbiological surveillance and cross-infection control monitoring in relation to immunocompromised patients need to be developed to decrease the possibility of nosocomial transmission of potential pathogens between hospitalised children with AIDS, their mothers and health care providers.