Characteristics   HIV serostatus Total No. (%) P-value     HIV positive (%) HIV negative (%)         P. aeruginosaPositive P. aeruginosa Negative P. aeruginosaPositive P. aeruginosaNegative     P. aeruginosa isolates   64 (32.2) 135 (67.8) 28 (24.8) 85 (75.2) 312 (100) 0.004 Nature of diarrhea Watery 31 (15.8) 58 (29.1) 10 (8.8) 35 (31) 134 (42.9) 0.514   Bloody 21 (10.6) 35 (17.6) 8 (7.1) 31 (27.4) 95 (30.4)   Mucoid 12 (6) 42 (21.1) 10 (8.8) 19 (16.8) 83 (26.6)   Total 64 (32.2) 135 (67.8) 28 (24.8) 85 (75.2) 312 (100) Weight loss Yes 61 (30.7) 119 (59.8) 12 (10.6) 27 (23.9) 219 (70.20 0.0001   No 3 (1.5) 16 (8) 16 (14.2) 58 (51.3) 93 (29.8)   Total 64 (32.2) 135 (67.8) 28 (24.8) 85 (75.2) 12 (100) Abdominal cramp Yes 25 (12.6) 35 (17.6) 12 (10.6) 26 (23) 98 (31.4) 0.218   No 39 (4.5) 100 (50.3) 16 (14.2) 59 (52.2) 214 (68.6)   Total 64 (32.2) 135 (67.8) 28 (24.8) 85 (75.2) 312 (100) Tennesmus Yes 15 (7.5) 18 (9) 8 (7.1) 16 (14.2) 57 (18.3) 0.045   No 49 (24.6) 117 (58.8) 20 (17.7) 69 (61.1) 255 (81.7)   Total 64 (32.2) 135 (67.8) 28 (24.8) 85 (75.2) 312 (100) Previous episode Yes 10 (5) 11(5.5) 5 (4.4) 13 (11.5) 39 (12.5) 0.007   No 54 (27.1) 124 (62.3) 23 (20.4) 72 (63.7) 273 (87.5)   Total 64 (32.2) 135 (67.8) 28 (24.8) 85 (75.2) 312 (100) Herpes zoster   47 (29.2) 114 (70.8) 26 (68.4) 12 (31.6) 199 (100) 0.001 Compared means (student t test; independent samples test) was used at P values less than 0.05

Table 2: Clinical symptoms and diarrhea status in association with that of P. aeruginosa isolates in HIV seropositive and negative diarrhoea patients, University of Gondar Hospital, 2003/4.