Infección por VIH: recomendaciones para el manejo del adulto asintomático y de algunos síndromes clínicos / Infection by HIV: recommendations for the management of asymtomatic adults and some clinical syndromes

RESUMO

This paper presents recommendations on the care of HIV infected adults based upon the author's personal experience with close to 700 patients in a multiprofessional pilot center. This medical care has 5 main objectives: 1)Promotion of good health (through standard recommendation of hygiene, health habits and regular checkup) 2)Prevention of infectious complications (through detection of latent pathogens, chemoprophylaxis, vaccination and avoidance of risk exposures). 3)Treatment of complications (mainly infectious, through early diagnosis and proper treatment); 4)Delay of HIV disease progression (through timely and properly chosen antiretroviral therapy) 5)Reduction of HIV disease progression spread from index case of others (through promotion of responsible behavior and avoidance of pregnancy and HIV exposure to others). Studies for evaluating global health and immunologic status and carriage of potential pathogens are discissed as well as the criteria and timing for chemoprofilaxis for tuberculosis and P carinii pneumonia (PCP). Algorithms for the management of major clinical syndromes and presented: diarrhea (afebrile, mostly parasitic, versus febrile, frequently bacterial); pneumonia (lobar mostly bacterial versus interstitial, frequently PCP specially if lymphopenic and not receiving PCP prophylaxis); brain mass lesion (most commonly toxoplasmosis). Finally, the evaluation and diagnostic possibilities of febrile patients is presented, based upon the immunologic status and associated symptoms