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Weakness in HIV-Infected Patients
Weakness in HIV-Infected Patients

Weakness in HIV-Infected Patients

Tags
Emerg. Med. Practice
Published
July 1, 2021
Author(s)
Fereshteh Sani, MD; John J. Faragon, PharmD; Daniel J. Egan, MD

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Action

  • HIV-infected patient presents with weakness
    • Rapidly assess for possible stroke syndrome. Perform a comprehensive physical and neurologic examination, focusing on:
      • Focal vs generalized findings
      • Upper vs lower extremity asymmetry
      • Cranial nerves
      • Muscle tone and strength
      • Upper and lower motor neuron findings

Decision

Is the weakness focal? (asymmetrical)

Background

CD4 counts and viral load results help to narrow the differential diagnosis in HIV-infected patients. In cases where patients have not had testing or do not know these values, there is a small amount of data that suggest an absolute lymphocyte count <950 cells/mcL may be associated with a CD4 count <200 cells/mcL, though guidelines do not advocate this as a true estimate.13,14^{13,14}

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References
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Full Weakness in HIV-Infected Patients Pathway
Full Weakness in HIV-Infected Patients Pathway
Non-focal weakness
Non-focal weakness
Focal Weakness
Focal Weakness

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