How is Acute HIV Syndrome Diagnosed?

How is Acute HIV Syndrome Diagnosed?

Medical professionals must understand acute HIV syndrome and must consider HIV in anyone who presents with acute HIV signs and symptoms। The key is a complete sexual and HIV risk factor assessment for anyone who presents to their office or emergency room. For instance, if a 60-year-old grandmother presents with fever, weight loss, and swollen lymph nodes, it is a mistake to assume she is not at risk for acute HIV syndrome simply because she is not what some consider to be a "typical" HIV patient. Because HIV does not discriminate, she should have a sexual history assessment and an HIV risk assessment just like a gay white male would in the same situation. Making assumptions about who is at risk for HIV infection can mean a HIV diagnosis will be missed.

Why Is Acute HIV Syndrome Recognition Important?

Identifying acute HIV early has benefits for the patient and his sexual partners, as well as helping scientists better understand the virus.

• Early HIV testing and diagnosis provides the first opportunity to appropriately counsel patients with regard to HIV prevention. Being aware of an HIV infection protects their sexual partners from unknowingly being infected.

• Early diagnosis means earlier medical care that has been shown to be a positive influence on the course of HIV throughout a person's lifetime. Getting into care earlier in the course of the disease translates into a better long-term prognosis and a longer, healthier life.

• Early diagnosis of HIV can have a public health benefit as well. Getting patients into care, counseled on how HIV is spread from person to person, and teaching ways to prevent infecting others helps control the spread of HIV. In addition, identifying acute HIV educates our scientists on how HIV infection occurs and presents, which in turn can help them develop new prevention education, new treatment, and eventually could help vaccine development.

• Recognizing acute HIV syndrome may creates a brief opportunity to control the initial immune system damage from HIV. The early spread of the virus greatly affects the course of the disease and sets immune system damage into motion. Experts believe that early intervention with antiretroviral medications during that acute HIV period may limit the initial immune system damage at the hands of HIV. However, the benefit of treatment during the acute stage of HIV is controversial.

  
  

Some estimates show that a quarter to a third of all HIV infected persons are unaware of their infection. It's not hard to see what a huge impact this fact can have on HIV transmission and the health of those infected. All one has to do is look to Africa to see the potential effects of being unaware. The medical community has to make a concerted effort to train its members how to recognize acute HIV syndrome and what to do once it is diagnosed. Emergency Rooms across the country must turn their back on conventional thinking and allow for acute HIV testing via their departments. Family practice and primary care physicians must build referral resources that provide HIV testing and counseling that includes attention to acute retroviral syndrome. We have the ability to fight HIV, we just have to know it's there.