Intensive Care of Patients with HIV Infection

The intensive care of patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is increasingly complex and may involve difficult decisions about the initiation or continuation of antiretroviral therapy. In some critically ill patients, the diagnosis of HIV has not been established, and there are legal implications for many important clinical decisions. Care may also be complicated by HIV-related pulmonary, cardiac, or renal impairment. The intensive care of patients with HIV infection is increasingly complex and may involve difficult decisions about the initiation or continuation of antiretroviral therapy. Care may also be complicated by HIV-related pulmonary, cardiac, or renal impairment. Antiretroviral therapy has increased the life expectancy of patients who are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and has reduced the incidence of illnesses associated with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). However, the frequency of pulmonary, cardiac, gastrointestinal, and renal diseases that are often not directly related to underlying HIV disease has increased. 1 – 4 Although the guiding principles of management in the intensive care unit (ICU) pertain to critically ill patients with HIV infection, antiretroviral therapy and unresolved questions regarding its use in the ICU add an additional level of complexity to already complicated cases. This review focuses on . . .