[Antiviral therapy of HIV infection. A practice-based presentation 1997/1998].

New information on the pathogenesis of HIV infection and the possibility of viral quantification have resulted in significant advances in the treatment of this disease. The triple combination of antiviral medications comprising two reverse transcriptase inhibitors and a proteinase inhibitor has brought about an improvement in the quality of life of the patient together with a slowing down of disease progression. For successful patient management, cooperation based on trust and compliance are equally as important as continual observation of the clinical course and monitoring of the viral burden or the T-helper cells.