HIV / AIDS

Infectious Disease · ~7% of blueprint

Pathophysiology: Retrovirus infects CD4+ T cells → progressive immunodeficiency; AIDS when CD4 <200 or an AIDS-defining illness.
Signs & Symptoms: Acute retroviral (flu-like) syndrome → latency → opportunistic infections as CD4 falls.
Gold Standard Diagnosis: 4th-generation HIV Ag/Ab combo immunoassay → confirmatory testing; viral load & CD4 for staging.
First-line Treatment: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) for all patients regardless of CD4; OI prophylaxis by CD4 count.

High-Yield Pearl

Treat all HIV patients with ART regardless of CD4; start PCP prophylaxis (TMP-SMX) when CD4 <200.

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