<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Pulmonary diseases are well documented and diverse in many patients with HIV in clinical stages 3 and 4. It is not unusual that these patients, most of whom do not know that they are already HIV-infected, are first examined and hospitalised by respiratory medicine specialists. While HIV-infection is relatively simple to diagnose if accompanied by advanced clinical manifestations and is regularly checked in patients with increased risk, this is not the case in low-risk patients, particularly in countries with low-level HIV epidemic and therefore low index of suspicion. Regular examination involves a series of tests, often including bronchoscopy with transbronchal lung biopsy in order to identify an interstitial lung disease and/or progressive dyspnoea. It is not uncommon that patients provide false or incomplete information about their lifestyle, which can mislead the clinician. At this point, HIV-infection is usually not suspected and healthcare workers may not strictly be following the safety principles which are otherwise applied when HIV-infection is known or suspect, although universal precautions are routine practice. At this point, the risk of exposure is the highest and HIV-transmission to healthcare workers is the most likely to occur. The cases presented here indicate that patients with progressive dyspnoea, which is typical of interstitial lung diseases, should undergo HIV-testing as a part of good clinical practice, even in a country with low-level HIV epidemic.</p></abstract>

Pulmonary diseases are well documented and diverse in many patients with HIV in clinical stages 3 and 4. It is not unusual that these patients, most of whom do not know that they are already HIV-infected, are first examined and hospitalised by respiratory medicine specialists. While HIV-infection is relatively simple to diagnose if accompanied by advanced clinical manifestations and is regularly checked in patients with increased risk, this is not the case in low-risk patients, particularly in countries with low-level HIV epidemic and therefore low index of suspicion. Regular examination involves a series of tests, often including bronchoscopy with transbronchal lung biopsy in order to identify an interstitial lung disease and/or progressive dyspnoea. It is not uncommon that patients provide false or incomplete information about their lifestyle, which can mislead the clinician. At this point, HIV-infection is usually not suspected and healthcare workers may not strictly be following the safety principles which are otherwise applied when HIV-infection is known or suspect, although universal precautions are routine practice. At this point, the risk of exposure is the highest and HIV-transmission to healthcare workers is the most likely to occur. The cases presented here indicate that patients with progressive dyspnoea, which is typical of interstitial lung diseases, should undergo HIV-testing as a part of good clinical practice, even in a country with low-level HIV epidemic.

Undiagnosed AIDS in Patients with Progressive Dyspnoea: An Occupational Risk for Healthcare Workers in Croatia

Clinical Department for Pulmonary Diseases, Split University Hospital

Teaching Public Health Institute of Split and Dalmatia County, Zagreb, Croatia

Split, Medicine School, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

Archives of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology

Pulmonary diseases are well documented and diverse in many patients with HIV in clinical stages 3 and 4. It is not unusual that these patients, most of whom do...

Undiagnosed AIDS in Patients with Progressive Dyspnoea: An Occupational Risk for Healthcare Workers in Croatia

Published Online: Mar 21, 2011

Page range: 57 - 64

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/10004-1254-62-2011-2071

Keywords
bronhoskopija, HIV-infekcija, rentgenogram pluća, testiranje na HIV

This content is open access.

Undiagnosed AIDS in Patients with Progressive Dyspnoea: An Occupational Risk for Healthcare Workers in Croatia

Published Online: Mar 21, 2011

Page range: 57 - 64

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/10004-1254-62-2011-2071

Keywordsbronhoskopija, HIV-infekcija, rentgenogram pluća, testiranje na HIV

This content is open access.

Keywords
bronhoskopija, HIV-infekcija, rentgenogram pluća, testiranje na HIV