Considerations on Bacterial Infections in Hiv Positive Patients (original) (raw)

It has been more than three decades since the first cases of acquired immune deficiency were reported, groups at risk were defined, routes of transmission of the disease determined and the causative agent, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was identified. The discovery of antiretroviral therapy (ARV) was a key moment in the history of the pandemic, transforming HIV from a fatal clinical condition in any case, to a chronic disease receiving a long-term care and an almost normal life expectancy. Since the discovery of zidovudine, the first pharmacologically active molecule against HIV, antiretroviral therapy had rapid and significant changes. However, opportunistic or common infections are relatively common in persons infected with HIV (PIH), which is today an important cause of morbidity and mortality, and problems remain related to prevention and curative therapy. HIV-induced immunosuppression amplifies the risk of bacterial infections, tuberculosis and non-tuberculosis, often involving antibiotic-resistant strains, with severe and / or recurrent potential. Occurrence surrogate markers and bacterial infections spectrum are CD4 cell count and HIV-viral load. Clinical and biological manifestations are often atypical, and therefore requires a high index of suspicion for early diagnosis and medical management, prophylactic therapy or appropriate curative treatment. By studying bacterial infections in immunocompromised patients with HIV, I tried to help improving prevention and diagnosis strategies of these infections in context of achieving an appropriate antibiotic standard for a cost-benefit effective treatment and for improving individual prognosis.