Epidemiology and Hospital Course of Patients With Acute Salpingitis and Coincident HIV

OBJECTIVE To compare the epidemiology and hospital course of patients with acute salpingitis with and without coincident human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seropositivity. METHODS Patients admitted to the UMDNJ-University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey from January 1, 1991, to December 31, 1991, with acute salpingitis were studied. RESULTS Eight percent of all hospitalized patients with acute salpingitis were HIV-positive. The mean age of the HIV-negative group was 25.4 compared with 29.6 years in the HIV-positive group. Gonorrhea and chlamydia were present in 49% and 22%, respectively, in HIV-negatives and in 40% and 20% of HIV-positives. Two of 5 (40%) HIV-positive patients had tuboovarian abscesses compared with 12 of 59 (20%) HIV-negative patients. Three of 5 (60%) HIV-positive patients had admission WBC counts fewer than 10,000/mm(3) compared to 6 of 59 (12%) of HIV-negatives (P = 0.024). The hospital stay was 5.4 days for HIV-positives and 5.8 days for HIV-negatives. CONCLUSIONS Eight percent of hospitalized patients with acute salpingitis were HIV-seropositive. Neisseria gonorrhoeae and chlamydia were commonly found organisms in both groups. The initial WBC count was lower for HIV-positive patients. The hospital course of both groups was similar.