Both patients with HIV disease and older patients continue to require critical care from time to time. This article presents current findings that dispel myths that HIV disease does not significantly affect older persons and that skills in care for one of these populations do not translate to care for the other.

Mr Jones, a 75-year-old widower, has been admitted to the critical care unit with severe hypoxia. Although intubated and receiving mechanical ventilation, he is conscious and able to follow commands. Standard empirical antibiotic treatment has not been successful, and sputum cultures have so far not indicated any diagnosis. He has a body temperature of 39.5°C (103°F), bilateral patchy infiltrates on chest radiographs, a white blood cell count of 3.2 × 109/L, and a serum lactic acid dehydrogenase level of 3897 U/L. In addition, in the past year, he has had progressive dementia, weight loss, and marked...

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