ABSTRACT
Tremendous strides have been made in the treatment of HIV infection since 1996, primarily related to the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). TheAIDSrelated mortality rate and opportunistic illnesses among HIV-infected patients have decreased and patients’ quality of life has improved. However, the advent of new therapies, monitoring schema, and drug toxicities has complicated the management of HIV infection as a chronic disease. The standard of care changes almost on a monthly basis, as results from ongoing clinical trials are reported, and even optimally treated patients may not respond appropriately to therapy. HIV-positive patients are still at greater risk of illness and death than the population at large. For these reasons patients with HIV infection have better outcomes when under the care of clinicians with experience in the management of HIV disease.
