Medical emergencies in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection

Abstract

With increasing awareness, earlier diagnosis, and aggressive use of anti-retroviral therapy, more people with HIV are living longer so that the average survival time from diagnosis is now significantly better than what it was 10 years ago. As a consequence of this, more patients with HIV are now presenting to hospitals and emergency departments as acute medical emergencies either directly related to their HIV infection, or their treatment. 1 An awareness of the potential problems with which these patients can present to hospital, plus guidance on their management is essential to all acute care physicians. In this article we outline the general management of patients with HIV presenting as emergencies to hospital, and then systematically focus on some of the more common clinical problems which may arise.