Emergencies related to HIV infection and treatment (part 1)

HIV is a leading cause of mortality in resource limited settings and HIV associated medical emergencies are common emergency centre presentations in high-prevalence settings. HIV attacks the body's immune system, making infected individuals susceptible to severe infections of multiple organ systems including the respiratory tract, ocular structures, and central nervous system. HIV infected individuals also suffer from unique patterns of cardiac disease, gastrointestinal disturbances, and haematologic and oncologic conditions. Anti-retroviral therapy itself is also associated with numerous side effects, many of which can be life-threatening. Diagnosis and management of HIV infected patients require knowledge of the disease's pathology and the life threatening complications associated with it. Part 1 of this review discusses the pathophysiology of the disease and respiratory, cardiac, psychiatric, and neurologic complications.