Journal of urban health : bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine
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To describe the characteristics and outcomes of the first 3 years of admissions to a dedicated skilled nursing facility for people with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). ⋯ A dedicated skilled nursing facility for people with AIDS can fill an important service need for patients with advanced disease, acute convalescence, long-term care, and terminal care. The need for long-term care may continue to grow for patients who do not respond fully to current antiretroviral therapies and/or have significant neuropsychiatric comorbidities. This level of care may be increasingly important not only in reducing lengths of stay in the hospital, but also as a bridge to community-based residential options in the emerging chronic disease phase of the AIDS epidemic.
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The increasing use of highly active antiretroviral therapies (HAARTs) has changed the course of AIDS-related illnesses and enhanced the quality of life of patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and may have changed the causes of deaths in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). ⋯ These findings indicate that HAART affected the causes of deaths in patients with AIDS, with "traditional" opportunistic infections diminishing in importance relative to chronic medical conditions and malignancies.