The HIV-Infected Adult Patient In The Emergency Department, The Changing Landscape Of Disease.

The care of the HIV-infected patient in the emergency department has changed since the development of highly active antiretroviral therapy. This therapy has resulted in longer life expectancies and increased quality of life for HIV-infected patients, and in cases of treatment compliance and success, virtual elimination of AIDS-associated opportunistic infections. As a result, the emergency clinician is now more often confronted with adverse events related to medication and the diseases associated with aging and chronic disease. This issue focuses on the differences in evaluation of HIV patients on long-term therapy and patients with medication noncompliance and low CD4 counts, as well as recognition of life-threatening and rare opportunistic infections. Disease processes related to the effect of longstanding HIV infection, even with good control, on many organ systems are addressed.