Clinical and laboratory profiles of visceral leishmaniasis among adult patients admitted to Felege Hiwot Hospital, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

Background: Visceral leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease caused by Leishmania donovani transmitted by sand fly species. It is the third most common vector-borne disease globally. Visceral leishmaniasis is endemic in Ethiopia with an estimated annual incidence ranging from 3700 to 7400 cases. Thi...

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Main Authors: Berhanu Tarekegn, Ayanaw Tamene
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2021-07-01
Series:SAGE Open Medicine
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/20503121211036787
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author Berhanu Tarekegn
Ayanaw Tamene
author_facet Berhanu Tarekegn
Ayanaw Tamene
author_sort Berhanu Tarekegn
collection DOAJ
description Background: Visceral leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease caused by Leishmania donovani transmitted by sand fly species. It is the third most common vector-borne disease globally. Visceral leishmaniasis is endemic in Ethiopia with an estimated annual incidence ranging from 3700 to 7400 cases. This research aimed to assess the clinical presentations and laboratory profiles of visceral leishmaniasis for early diagnosis and timely initiation of management. Objective: To describe the clinical and laboratory manifestation and diagnostic modalities of visceral leishmaniasis among adult patients admitted to Felege Hiwot Hospital, from 1 September 2016 to 30 August 2019. Method: Institution-based retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted among 141 patients admitted to Felege Hiwot Hospital from 1 September 2016 to 30 August 2019. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the clinical presentation and laboratory profiles of patients with visceral leishmaniasis. Results: Among a total of 141 enrolled patients in the study, males were affected 13-fold. Most of them were travelers to endemic areas during the winter season for labor work. The mean duration of illness was 48 days. Common symptoms were fever (96.5%), weightless (82.5%), jaundice (18.4%), vomiting/diarrhea (13.5%), and bleeding episodes (11.3%). Splenomegaly was seen in 98.6%, ascites in 35.5%, and lymphadenopathy in 9.9%. Lymphadenopathy was seen significantly in HIV patients (40%). Anemia was seen in 95%, thrombocytopenia in 90.2%, leukopenia in 86.4%, and pancytopenia in 79.4%. Half of the patients had coinfection. Neutropenic sepsis was seen in 21.3%. The diagnosis was made by tissue aspiration in 65% of patients. Conclusion: The majority of patients who were diagnosed to have visceral leishmaniasis were young male adults who traveled to the endemic areas seasonally. Fever and splenomegaly were seen as the commonest clinical presentation. Lymphadenopathy occurred in high frequency among HIV co-infected patients. Anemia was the commonest hematologic finding.
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spelling doaj.art-19dcaeea0c774ce2bae0c5ae07db18b12022-12-21T22:25:03ZengSAGE PublishingSAGE Open Medicine2050-31212021-07-01910.1177/20503121211036787Clinical and laboratory profiles of visceral leishmaniasis among adult patients admitted to Felege Hiwot Hospital, Bahir Dar, EthiopiaBerhanu TarekegnAyanaw TameneBackground: Visceral leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease caused by Leishmania donovani transmitted by sand fly species. It is the third most common vector-borne disease globally. Visceral leishmaniasis is endemic in Ethiopia with an estimated annual incidence ranging from 3700 to 7400 cases. This research aimed to assess the clinical presentations and laboratory profiles of visceral leishmaniasis for early diagnosis and timely initiation of management. Objective: To describe the clinical and laboratory manifestation and diagnostic modalities of visceral leishmaniasis among adult patients admitted to Felege Hiwot Hospital, from 1 September 2016 to 30 August 2019. Method: Institution-based retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted among 141 patients admitted to Felege Hiwot Hospital from 1 September 2016 to 30 August 2019. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the clinical presentation and laboratory profiles of patients with visceral leishmaniasis. Results: Among a total of 141 enrolled patients in the study, males were affected 13-fold. Most of them were travelers to endemic areas during the winter season for labor work. The mean duration of illness was 48 days. Common symptoms were fever (96.5%), weightless (82.5%), jaundice (18.4%), vomiting/diarrhea (13.5%), and bleeding episodes (11.3%). Splenomegaly was seen in 98.6%, ascites in 35.5%, and lymphadenopathy in 9.9%. Lymphadenopathy was seen significantly in HIV patients (40%). Anemia was seen in 95%, thrombocytopenia in 90.2%, leukopenia in 86.4%, and pancytopenia in 79.4%. Half of the patients had coinfection. Neutropenic sepsis was seen in 21.3%. The diagnosis was made by tissue aspiration in 65% of patients. Conclusion: The majority of patients who were diagnosed to have visceral leishmaniasis were young male adults who traveled to the endemic areas seasonally. Fever and splenomegaly were seen as the commonest clinical presentation. Lymphadenopathy occurred in high frequency among HIV co-infected patients. Anemia was the commonest hematologic finding.https://doi.org/10.1177/20503121211036787
spellingShingle Berhanu Tarekegn
Ayanaw Tamene
Clinical and laboratory profiles of visceral leishmaniasis among adult patients admitted to Felege Hiwot Hospital, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
SAGE Open Medicine
title Clinical and laboratory profiles of visceral leishmaniasis among adult patients admitted to Felege Hiwot Hospital, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
title_full Clinical and laboratory profiles of visceral leishmaniasis among adult patients admitted to Felege Hiwot Hospital, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
title_fullStr Clinical and laboratory profiles of visceral leishmaniasis among adult patients admitted to Felege Hiwot Hospital, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
title_full_unstemmed Clinical and laboratory profiles of visceral leishmaniasis among adult patients admitted to Felege Hiwot Hospital, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
title_short Clinical and laboratory profiles of visceral leishmaniasis among adult patients admitted to Felege Hiwot Hospital, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
title_sort clinical and laboratory profiles of visceral leishmaniasis among adult patients admitted to felege hiwot hospital bahir dar ethiopia
url https://doi.org/10.1177/20503121211036787
work_keys_str_mv AT berhanutarekegn clinicalandlaboratoryprofilesofvisceralleishmaniasisamongadultpatientsadmittedtofelegehiwothospitalbahirdarethiopia
AT ayanawtamene clinicalandlaboratoryprofilesofvisceralleishmaniasisamongadultpatientsadmittedtofelegehiwothospitalbahirdarethiopia