Treatment of HIV/AIDS
HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) destroys CD4 T-cells, progressively weakening the immune system until AIDS develops. Antiretroviral therapy suppresses viral load to undetectable levels, enabling near-normal life expectancy.
Managing HIV/AIDS effectively requires a combination of medical treatment, lifestyle modification, and regular monitoring. With a structured management plan, most people with HIV/AIDS can maintain a good quality of life and prevent serious complications.
First-Line Treatment Principles
- ✓Identify pathogen and antimicrobial sensitivities before initiating targeted therapy
- ✓De-escalate antimicrobial spectrum as soon as culture/sensitivity results available
- ✓Source control: drainage of abscesses, removal of infected catheters/prosthetics
- ✓Empirical antibiotics: cover likely pathogens based on clinical syndrome and local resistance patterns
- ✓Adhere to minimum effective duration to reduce resistance selection
What to Do Now
- Learn your personal risk factors for HIV/AIDS (family history, age, lifestyle)
- Attend regular health check-ups and screening tests appropriate for your age and risk
- Track new or changing symptoms, especially those associated with HIV/AIDS
- Use our AI symptom checker to assess whether your symptoms fit an early HIV/AIDS pattern
- Discuss preventive strategies and early monitoring with your GP
- Build a personalised management plan with your GP or specialist
- Adhere consistently to prescribed medications — do not stop without medical advice
- Adopt a HIV/AIDS-appropriate diet (anti-inflammatory, low-glycaemic, or disease-specific)
Medications Used in HIV/AIDS
Lamivudine is a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) used as part of combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection.
Tenofovir is a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) used as part of combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection.
Emtricitabine is a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) used as part of combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection.
Abacavir is a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) used as part of combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection.
Zidovudine is a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) used as part of combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection.
Stavudine is a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) used as part of combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection.
Efavirenz is a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) used in combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-1 infection.
Nevirapine is a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) used in combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-1 infection.
Non-Pharmacological Management
- •Infection prevention: hand hygiene, vaccination, insect bite prevention (malaria/dengue/Lyme)
- •Isolation precautions for highly contagious or drug-resistant organisms
- •Nutritional support: adequate protein and calorie intake during infectious illness
- •Rest and adequate hydration during acute illness
- •Vector control for vector-borne diseases (mosquito nets, repellents, chemoprophylaxis for travel)
- •Contact tracing for notifiable diseases (TB, meningococcal, sexual infections)
Treatment Goals
Monitoring Parameters
- ◆Temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure: 4-hourly in hospital
- ◆CRP, procalcitonin: inflammation markers to guide treatment response and de-escalation
- ◆Blood cultures: before antibiotics if systemic infection suspected; repeat if deterioration
- ◆Organ function: LFTs, renal function, FBC — especially with prolonged therapy
- ◆Antimicrobial drug levels (vancomycin, aminoglycosides) to optimise dosing and prevent toxicity
- ◆Clinical response at 48–72h: reassess empirical therapy if no improvement
Red Flags — When to Escalate
- ⚠Any of the characteristic symptoms of HIV/AIDS — even mild — in a high-risk individual
- ⚠Progressive worsening of early warning signs over weeks
- ⚠Laboratory abnormalities (e.g., blood sugar, inflammatory markers) without full symptoms
- ⚠Unexplained weight loss, night sweats, or fatigue persisting >2 weeks
- ⚠Strong family history of HIV/AIDS combined with new relevant symptoms
- ⚠Sudden worsening of HIV/AIDS symptoms despite established treatment
Escalation Criteria
- →Sepsis/septic shock: immediate IV broad-spectrum antibiotics within 1 hour; ICU admission
- →Clinical deterioration at 48–72h despite appropriate antibiotics → reassess diagnosis, obtain cultures, consider resistant organisms
- →Drug-resistant organism identified → infectious disease specialist review
- →Immunocompromised host: lower threshold for escalation; consider uncommon pathogens (fungal, mycobacterial)
Special Populations
Clinical Insights
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