[HIV-related symptoms].
The course of HIV-infection has changed dramatically since the beginning of the epidemic. Opportunistic infections and AIDS-defining tumors are diagnosed less frequently since the introduction of antiretroviral therapy and the time of survival has increased. According to German-Austrian therapy guidelines highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) should be started on the onset of HIV-related symptoms and/or when the CD4 cell count is lower than 350/microl. Patients should be treated in specialized centres because of the complexity of HIV-infection and its therapy. For monitoring CD4 cell counts and viral load are determined. Reasons for therapeutic failure can be drug interactions, resistance or compliance problems. Although HIV-infection is often compared to insulin dependent diabetes mellitus psychological and social impact on HIV patients is still high. Increasing viral multi-drug resistance, long-term toxicity like lipodystrophy, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease are only some problems HIV-infected patients are facing in the next years. In Germany 600 to 700 patients still die because of AIDS every year.
Potthoff
A
A
Klinik für Dermatologie und Allergologie, Ruhr-Universität, Gudrunstrasse 56, 44791 Bochum, Deutschland. a.potthoff@klinikum-bochum.de
Brockmeyer
N H
NH
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active / Q000379:methods*; D001317:Austria; D005858:Germany; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents