Summary
Definition
History and exam
Key diagnostic factors
- fevers and night sweats
- weight loss
- skin rashes and post-inflammatory scars
- oral ulcers, angular cheilitis, oral thrush, or oral hairy leukoplakia
- diarrhea
- wasting syndrome
- changes in mental status or neuropsychiatric function
- recent hospital admissions
- tuberculosis (TB)
- medical comorbidities
- sexual activity
- generalized lymphadenopathy
- Kaposi sarcoma
- genital STIs
- chronic vaginal candidiasis
- shingles
- headaches
- periodontal disease
- retinal lesions on fundoscopy
- shortness of breath on exertion, cyanosis on exertion, dry cough, silent chest on auscultation
Other diagnostic factors
- current and prior use of other substances
- peripheral neuropathy
- recurrent herpes simplex
- hepatomegaly or splenomegaly
- meningeal signs (bacterial or viral meningitis)
Risk factors
- needle sharing with intravenous drug use
- unprotected receptive anal intercourse
- unprotected receptive penile-vaginal sexual intercourse
- percutaneous needle stick injury
- high maternal viral load (mother-to-child transmission)
- use of progestin-only injectable contraceptives
- herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection
Diagnostic investigations
1st investigations to order
- serum HIV enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
- serum HIV rapid test
- HIV noninvasive tests
- serum Western blot
- serum p24 antigen
- serum HIV DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
- CD4 count
- serum viral load (HIV RNA)
- drug resistance testing
- pregnancy test
- serum hepatitis B serology
- serum hepatitis C serology
- serum venereal disease research laboratory test
- Treponema pallidum hemagglutination test
- rapid plasma reagin
- tuberculin skin test
- CBC with differential
- serum electrolytes
- serum creatinine
- urinalysis
Investigations to consider
- chest x-ray
- liver function tests (LFTs)
- random or fasting lipid profile
- random or fasting plasma glucose
- hepatitis A serology (IgG)
- toxoplasma serology (IgG)
- gonorrhea and chlamydia testing
- human leukocyte antigen-B*5701 testing
Treatment algorithm
newly confirmed infection
virologic or immunologic treatment failure
Contributors
Authors
Chad J. Achenbach, MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Medicine
Infectious Diseases
Northwestern Medicine
Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
Chicago
IL
Disclosures
CJA has received funds for lecturing at educational events and reimbursement for travel to these lectures by ViiV pharmaceuticals. CJA has been paid for service on a Data Safety Monitoring Board by ABIVAX.
Acknowledgements
Dr Chad J. Achenbach would like to gratefully acknowledge Dr Richard Rothman, Dr Michael Ehmann, Dr Linda-Gail Bekker, Dr Catherine Orrell, and Dr Lisa Capaldini, the previous contributors to this topic.
Disclosures
ME, LGB, and CO declare that they have no competing interests. RR attended a symposium/conference hosted by a funding agency, Gilead HIV FOCUS program, from which he receives research funds. RR pays staff for an implementation/research program grant from Gilead HIV FOCUS for development of HIV testing programs in Emergency Departments. LC is on the speakers' bureau for the following pharmaceutical companies: GlaxoSmithKline, BMS, Merck, Gilead, Roche, Pfizer, Solvay, Lilly, Serrano, and Tibotec.
Peer reviewers
Marianne Harris, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor
University of British Columbia
Vancouver
Canada
Disclosures
MH is a member of an advisory board and/or speakers' bureau for Gilead Sciences Canada Inc, Merck Canada Inc, and ViiV Healthcare.
William Rodriguez, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Director of Research
Global Health Delivery Project
Harvard School of Public Health
Boston
MA
Disclosures
WR declares that he has no competing interests.
Jeremy Day, BChir, MB
Infectious Disease Physician
Oxford University Clinical Research Unit
Hospital for Tropical Diseases
Ho Chi Minh City
Vietnam
Disclosures
JD declares that he has no competing interests.
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- Infectious mononucleosis
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- Influenza infection
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