NCJ Number
148136
Date Published
1994
Length
36 pages
Annotation
This booklet provides guidelines on the management of HIV infection in its early stages, since medical intervention at this time may be most effective in delaying life-threatening symptoms.
Abstract
Early intervention and education can also often increase patient involvement in treatment, improve access to services, and retard the spread of the disease. Primary care providers must be prepared to diagnose HIV infection, disclose test results, and evaluate and manage early HIV infection. This booklet limits its discussion to selected elements of adult and pediatric care that are particularly significant for practitioners, including disclosure of HIV status, monitoring of CD4 lymphocyte counts, prevention of pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and tuberculosis, and initiation of antiretroviral therapy. Algorithms presented at the back of the booklet show the sequence of events related to the evaluation and management of early HIV infections in adults, adolescents, infants, and children. Each recommendation in this guide is rated and labeled according to the degree to which it is data-based. 3 tables