AIDS/HIV Flashcards
To what family of viruses does HIV belong?
Retroviridae (retrovirus)
With relation to HIV, what does the acronym HAART stand for?
Highly active antiretroviral therapy, which represents the current drug regimen used to prevent the advancement of HIV infection
into AIDS.
What are the potential cardiac complications of
AIDS?
An echocardiogram will be abnormal in about 50% of AIDS patients. Approximately 25% will exhibit pericardial effusions. Infections from opportunistic organisms such as cryptococcus, coxsackie B virus, cytomegalovirus, toxoplasmosis, and
aspergillus can cause myocarditis with ventricular dilation.
An HIV-positive patient takes a non-nucleoside
reverse transcriptase inhibitor. How might this affect
your anesthetic management plan?
All of the NNRTIs can prolong the half-life and effects of drugs such as diazepam, midazolam, fentanyl, and meperidine.
What are the five major classes of antiretroviral
drugs used in the treatment of HIV?
Nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitors, nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, protease inhibitors, entry inhibitors, and integrase inhibitors.
What is zidovudine and what is its principal side
effect?
Zidovudine is a nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitor used in the treatment of HIV. Its principal side effect is bone marrow suppression.
An anesthetist suffers a needle-stick that was
contaminated with blood from an HIV-positive
patient. According to current recommendations, how soon should a postexposure prophylaxis medication regimen be started?
Postexposure prophylaxis should be started within 1-2 hours if
possible..
What type of lymphocyte is destroyed by the AIDS
virus?
T-helper lymphocytes (also called CD4 T cells)
Where are T-help lymphocytes predominantly
located?
98% of all T-helper lymphocytes are located within the lymph nodes.
What is the most common opportunistic pathogen
associated with AIDS?
Pneumocystis jiroveci (formerly Pneumocystis carinii)
What are the odds of seroconversion from an HIV
contaminated needlestick?
0.3%
What form of pneumonia is associated with AIDS?
Pneumocystis jiroveci (formerly known as pneumocystic carinii) pneumonia
What are the potential respiratory complications from pneumocystis carinii pneumonia?
Breathlessness, night sweats, bacterial lung abscesses, tuberculosis, fungal infections, pneumothorax, pulmonary Kaposi’s sarcoma, and respiratory failure. Pulmonary adenopathy can be so severe that it results in tracheobronchial
and pulmonary vessel compression. Kaposi’s sarcoma within the lungs can result in massive hemoptysis. HIV can also lead to an emphysematous destruction of the alveolar tissue.
Pneumocystic carinii pneumonia usually doesn’t
develop until the CD4 T cell count reaches what
level?
200 cell/mL
How does the chest xray of a patient with
pneumocystis carinii pneumonia appear?
It often appears normal. A ‘ground-glass’ appearance may be apparent on xray, but often requires high-resolution CT to identify. Pneumothoraces may sometime be present.
