What to Expect When Your Patient Has AIDS

Abstract

ince AIDS can affect every major system in the body, its clinical manifestations vary. Further complicating diagnosis and treatment, seroconversion may occur as early as four weeks or as late as six months after exposure, and from there it can take up to 20 years for HIV infection to progress to AIDS. The progression of HIV is marked by five phases. During phase one, the window period (lasting four weeks to six months after infection), the patient is asymptomatic and HIV antibodies aren't detectable. Phase two, acute primary HIV infection, lasts only one to two weeks. During this phase, HIV antibodies may be detectable, and the patient may experience flulike symptoms. The third phase, asymptomatic infection, may last from one