HIV and Its Myriad Opportunistic Infections

Abstract Opportunistic infections and coinfections of HIV/AIDS include Pneumocystis pneumonia, hepatitis B virus (HBV), and disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC). Symptoms of Pneumocystis pneumonia are progressive shortness of breath, dry cough, fever, and chest discomfort. First-line medication for treating Pneumocystis pneumonia is trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. For patients with HIV-HBV coinfection, a combination of either lamivudine or emtricitabine plus either tenofovir alafenamide or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate must be used as the nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor combination. Common treatment regimens for MAC infection include a 2- or 3-drug regimen with a macrolide (azithromycin or clarithromycin), ethambutol, and possibly rifabutin.