Management of the HIV-infected patient: a comprehensive approach. The SCMA AIDS Task Force

Management of the early stages of HIV infection has become relatively straightforward. Therapy with AZT (Retrovir) should be instituted when the CD4 count is consistently between 400 and 500 per cmm, and prophylaxis against Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia should be instituted when the CD4 count falls below 200 per cmm. Although numerous complications punctuate the later course of HIV infection, those requiring emergency intervention are relatively few in number and usually recognizable. On the horizon are new approaches expected to further enhance the duration and quality of life for HIV-infected patients. Caring for HIV-infected patients can be a rewarding clinical experience, and the barriers to providing such care are by no means insurmountable.