Care of the HIV-Positive Patient in the Emergency Department in the Era of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy

More than 1 million individuals in the United States are HIV positive, with greater than 40,000 new patients being diagnosed per year. With the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), HIV-infected patients in the United States are living longer. HIV-infected patients receiving HAART now more commonly have noninfectious and nonopportunistic complications of their disease. This review article will discuss the assessment and treatment of HIV-positive patients in the era of HAART, with an emphasis on the noninfectious and changing infectious complications that require emergency care.