Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T22:56:30.177Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

96 - HIV Infection: Initial Evaluation and Monitoring

from Part XII - HIV

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 March 2013

Fouad Bou Harb
Affiliation:
Infectious Disease Society of America, American Academy of HIV Medicine
Aaron E. Glatt
Affiliation:
New Island Hospital
David Schlossberg
Affiliation:
Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia
Get access

Summary

Even though infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can be devastating and depressing news to a patient, the early recognition of the infection, the monitoring of immune deficiency both clinically and quantitatively, the prophylaxis and treatment of opportunistic infections and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) have made HIV infection a chronic disease with an increasing survival rate. At the end of 2003, an estimated 1 039 000 to 1 185 000 persons were living with HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in the United States; 24% to 27% were undiagnosed and unaware of their HIV infection. It is estimated that between 35 and 42 million people are living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. Primary care physicians need to be familiar with the history, clinical presentation, and complications of HIV infection, mostly during the early stages of the infection, when they are expected to care for these patients. This chapter will help clinicians in suspecting, counseling, screening, diagnosing, and evaluating immune deficiency, as well as implementing antiretroviral therapy and other therapies as indicated.

HIV CLINICAL PRESENTATION

Patients can present with different complaints ranging from an acute nonspecific retroviral syndrome (mononucleosis type) lasting 1 to 4 weeks after HIV-1/HIV-2 viral aqcuisition with an incubation period as long as 6 weeks to an AIDS-defining illness suggesting advanced immunocompromission, most commonly Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, esophageal candidiasis, wasting, and Kaposi's sarcoma.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×