Clinical characteristics and CD4 levels of HIV-infected children seen in referral hospital in Bali, Indonesia: a cross-sectional analytical study

Clinical characteristics in children living with HIV vary by population, yet limited research focuses on the pediatric population in Bali as one of the early contributors to Indonesia’s HIV response. This study aims to assess clinical characteristics and their association with cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) levels in a vertical referral hospital. A cross-sectional study of children aged 5 years or older who receive ARV and are tested for CD4 count within 2024–2025. Clinical characteristics were obtained from medical records, including ARV regimen, treatment duration, viral load, and nutritional status. A total of 113 HIV-infected children were included in the study. The median age was 12 years (9.5–15); 68 (60%) were male. Among all subjects, 80 (71%) received a first-line ARV regimen, with a median treatment duration of 9 years. Viral load < 1000 copies/ml was found in 80 (71%) subjects, the median CD4 count was 683 cells/mm3, and 104 (92%) children had CD4 count above 200 cells/mm3. In multivariate analysis, viral load ≥ 1000 copies/ml (OR 6.34; 95% CI 1.03–39.05; p = 0.046) were associated with lower CD4 in children aged 5 years or older with HIV in Bali.