When a patient is HIV positive and the CD4+ lymphocyte count falls below 200/ uL, what does this mean?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When a patient's CD4+ lymphocyte count falls below 200/uL, it indicates a severely weakened immune system, making the patient highly susceptible to opportunistic infections. This count is also a diagnostic criterion for AIDS according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines. At this stage, prophylactic antibiotics are often recommended to prevent opportunistic infections, hence all of the statements are correct.

When a Patient Is HIV Positive and the CD4+ Lymphocyte