ABSTRACT
Significant improvements have been made in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) worldwide. In 2017, the UN estimated 36.9 million people were living with HIV, and 21.7 million people were accessing anti-retroviral treatment. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is the commonest form of the virus and HIV-2 is predominately found in West Africa and thought to first have infected humans in the 1940s. Patients may present with pyrexia of unknown origin. Fever with or without localisation is a common presentation among individuals with HIV. The decision to admit and initiate critical care treatments with patients with HIV or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), with a potentially reversible and treatable condition, poses ethical decisions for healthcare workers when trying to balance limited resources. Given the variety of reasons for admission, the nursing management will be determined by the reason for admission and may or may not be related to their HIV/AIDS diagnosis.
