Current HIV research
-
Current HIV research · Nov 2009
ReviewTreatment and outcome of pulmonary arterial hypertension in HIV-infected patients: a review of the literature.
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a life-threatening complication of HIV infection. The prevalence of HIV-associated PAH (HIV-PAH) seems not to be changed over time, regardless of the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). HIV-PAH treatment is similar to that for all PAH conditions and includes lifestyle modifications, general treatments, and disease-specific treatments. ⋯ Survival rates were 69% and 38% among patients treated or not with ART and PAH-ST, respectively (p = 0.02). Specific therapy for PAH should be strongly recommended in patients with HIV-PAH. The role of the HAART in influencing the outcome of HIV-PAH is controversial, even if some evidences seem to indicate a beneficial effect in the clinical course of the disease.
-
Current HIV research · Nov 2009
ReviewCaring for HIV-infected patients in the ICU in the highly active antiretroviral therapy era.
The use of intensive care units (ICU) resources for HIV-Infected patients has been controversial since the first reported cases, raising practical ethical and economic issues about aggressive treatment. The aim of this review of the literature is to provide current information on the epidemiology of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients admitted to ICU during the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and to highlight issues related to HAART that are relevant to the intensivist. ⋯ More HIV-infected patients surviving ICU admission are more likely to need critical care for problems unrelated to HIV infection or for conditions related to HAART toxicity. Intensivists need to be familiar with HAART (i) to recognize life-threatening toxicities unique to these drugs; (ii) to avoid drug interactions, which are extremely common and potentially life-threatening; (iii) to avoid enhancing HIV drug resistance, an occurrence that could have devastating consequences for the patient following ICU discharge.