HIV-positive patients in the intensive care unit

To the Editor: We read the retrospective audit by Mkoko and Raine Although we acknowledge that intensive care is a scarce resource in South Africa (SA), and clear guidelines are needed to assist clinicians to allocate resources appropriately, we cannot concur with the authors' conclusion that ICU care may have to be withheld from HIV patients with higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) scores and the need for organ support such as renal replacement therapy and inotropes. The authors also erroneously suggest that 'this is the first study that has determined the outcomes of HIV-positive adults admitted to an SA ICU' .