ABSTRACT
Patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) develop significant nutritional deficiencies and progressive weight loss during the course of their disease. Persons with AIDS (PWAs) often have significant potassium, body fat, intracellular water volume, and serum protein depletion. Nutritional repletion plays an important role in the preservation of immunologic function and the successful recovery of critically ill, non-AIDS patients. There are no specific nutritional therapy guidelines for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) positive patients. Because of the number of HIV-positive patients worldwide and the predicted AIDS epidemic, nutritionists are now attempting to design inexpensive, beneficial, physiologic diets for PWAs. Patients with inadequate nutrient intake may become malnourished. There are two types of malnutrition: protein malnutrition (PM), which occurs when the diet is deficient in protein, and protein-calorie malnutrition (PCM) which occurs as a consequence of general starvation and the inadequate intake of both protein and calories.
