Sandler BJ, et al. - In this retrospective cohort study conducted using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, researchers evaluated how human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection influenced the outcomes following common emergency general surgery procedures since the widespread introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy. They identified 974,588 patients, of which 1,489 were HIV-positive and 1,633 were HIV/AIDS-positive. Compared to HIV-negative patients, HIV/AIDS patients died more frequently during their hospital stay. A greater risk of death, infectious, and noninfectious complications after emergency surgery was reported for the HIV/AIDS patients regardless of operative complexity and despite advanced highly active antiretroviral therapy. However, patients who have not developed advanced disease showed outcomes similar to those of HIV-negative patients.