Current trends in the treatment of HIV infection, 2003

The HIV/AIDS epidemic appears to have stabilized in the world's developed countries while it is still worsening in many areas of the resource-poor world. HIV/AIDS patients in countries such as the United States are living longer primarily due to the availability of potent antiretroviral drug combinations and tests to monitor the risk of progression of disease. Management of HIV is very complicated. General guidelines for treatment are available. Published guidelines, however, are often too simplistic and do not reflect new or controversial information. Most patients will develop resistant virus during their treatment. Several antiretroviral medications are on the horizon that will afford better options for treatment, and studies are underway to evaluate treatment strategies that would be potent, less toxic, and convenient for patients. Because the field of HIV care continues to evolve rapidly and there is increasing diversity among infected patients, treatment and prevention are optimized when provided by a dedicated care team supervised by an HIV specialist.