Access to information about AIDS

Medical information related to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is highly diverse, and the practicing physician or researcher may find specific information difficult to locate. To provide timely access to medical information on topics related to the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), several computer-based products have recently been developed. Some are available from vendors of online information systems, whereas others are available only on CD-ROM or floppy disk. We review several computer-based products. AIDSLINE is the most comprehensive bibliographic index, AIDSTRIALS contains specific information about ongoing unpublished investigational studies, and AIDS Knowledge Base from San Francisco General Hospital is an up-to-date electronic textbook covering all aspects of AIDS. COMPACT LIBRARY: AIDS operates on a microcomputer and combines several databases, including full-text AIDS-related articles from nine major medical journals. AIDS References from the Bureau of Hygiene and Tropical Diseases provides critical analysis of publications worldwide. Although smaller in size than AIDSLINE, about one third of the publications covered by this resource are not covered by AIDSLINE.