ABSTRACT
Though surgeons are not primarily responsible for the treatment of patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, the disease influences the performance and outcome of surgery. Surgeons may be called upon to operate for the diagnosis of an infection, for an unrelated condition, or for one of the surgical complications of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). This article reviews in brief the etiology, pathogenesis, and natural history of HIV and AIDS, the signs and symptoms which may help in recognizing HIV disease especially in emergency situations, the clinical presentations from a surgical point of view and their management, controversial issues related to the management of AIDS patients, and finally the guidelines for the precautions to be taken to reduce the potential risk of transmission of infection from patient to a health care workers and the postexposure prophylaxis.
KEYWORDS:HIV, surgical, AIDS, surgeons, precautions