Complications in HIV/AIDS

Complications caused by anti-HIV medication:
Hepatotoxicity
Hyperglycemia
Hyperlipidemia
Lactic Acidosis
Lipodystrophy
Osteonecrosis
Osteopenia
Osteoporosis
Skin rash

Last phase of HIV/AIDS:
Immune system severely damaged
Body highly susceptible to infections (opportunistic etc)

Bacterial infections:
Bacterial pneumonia
Mycobacterium avioumcomplex(MAC)
Tuberculosis (TB)
Salmonellosis
Bacillary angiomatosis

Viral infections:
Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
Viral hepatitis
Herpes simplex virus (HSV)
Human papillomavirus (HPV)
Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML)

Fungal infections:
Candidiasis
Cryptococcal meningitis

Parasitic infections:
Pneumocystis carinji pneumonia (PCP)
Toxoplasmosis
Cryptosporidiosis

Cancers:
Kaposi’s sarcoma
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

Other complications:
Wasting syndrome
Neurological complications – AIDS dementia complex, confusion, forgetfulness, changes in behavior, depression, anxiety and trouble walking.

Most common adverse events in last six months of life:
PCP most common
Wasting syndrome
MAC
CMV

AIDS has now become a chronic disease in many countries. Management of AIDS later in life becomes more and more complicated with decisions about quality of life, cost, toxicity and multiple drug interactions all needing to be taken into account.