Cardiac surgery in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) carriers

Abstract

in HIV-positive patients with endocarditis, continued sepsis despite appropriate antibiotic therapy signals a potentially very serious prognosis which may be due to an already seriously impaired immune state. By contrast, in the absence of uncontrolled infection, HIV-positive patients appear to have a normal response to open cardiac surgery. Data on the risk to the patient of progressing to AIDS and the risk to the surgical team of acquiring HIV infection are unknown. Testing is vital for answering these questions.