Toward a Better Classification System for HIV Infection

This editorial points out the different purposes for Center For Disease Control CDC case definition and the Walter Reed WR staging classification of HIV infection. CDC classification having a primarily epidemiological and public health bias while WR classification a prognostic and severity of illness indicator for a specific patient. Authors agree with Dr. Justice who wants a classification system for patients with end stage disease, but believe her system fall short in four areas, 1 use of CDC definition as starting place, 2 possibility of biased patient population as basis, 3 use of broad measures of physiologic deficits, 4 inability of system to predict survivability of end stage patients. Keywords Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome Human immunodeficiency virus Disease stages Human immunodeficiency virus infection. Reprints.