Blood Bourne Virsues

Question 1

What are some of the features of the HIV virsus?

Answer 1

Is a retrovirsus that infects and replicates in the immune system targeting the CD4 cells,

Question 2

How does HIV progress?

Answer 2

There is at first acute infection and seroconversion, and then latent infection, and then the symptomatic infection, and then a severe infection or AIDs

Question 3

How does the virsus enter the CD4 cells?

Answer 3

Binds to CD4 on one of the two co receptors and fuses within the cell, and then pentrates and the contents empty into the cell?

Question 4

How does the CD4 count change as HIV progresses?

Answer 4

At primatry infection the CD4 count is normal, at stage I asymptomatic infection the DC4 count is greater than 500, and stage II mild infection the CD4 count is less than 500, at advanced is less than 350 and at the stage of AIDs the count is less than 200

Question 5

Describe some of the symmptoms of acute HIV infection?

Answer 5

Central= headache, malaise and neuropathy, systematic effects include weight loss and fever, sores in the eosphagus, gastric symptoms are the nasuea and vomiting, and the liver and spleen become enlarged,lympommas and a rash on the skin

Question 6

What are some of the assoicated conditions as you move through the different stages of AIDs?

Answer 6

Early- you get bacteria skin sores and fungal skin infections, caused by things such as herpers zoaster, later you get kaposis sacrome, and then later you get TB, and then even later you can get toxiplasmosis

Question 7

What are some of the ways that HIV can be transmitted?

Answer 7

Sexual transmission, vaginal, anal and oral, sharing of injecting equipmen, vertical tranmission, in utero, at childbirth or during breast feeding, and medical procedures such as blood transufusions, skin grafts and organ dependant

Question 8

What are some of the factors that may affect HIV transmission?

Answer 8

Condom use, breaks in the skin mucosal, and load affects as well as other conditions such as sexual transmitted infections

Question 9

What are some of the diagnostic tests that can be used in HIV?

Answer 9

Blood tests for HIV antigen and the HIV antibody, you get the result on the same day but there may be false negatives, and rapid testing such as blood testing, oral can eb at home postal, if negative these are very accurate but may need to be reposted if oral

Question 10

Which conditions means that a person should be treated for HIV?

Answer 10

People with bacterial pneumonia, neuro conditions such as aspectic mennigitis, neuropathy and dementia, and gastro conditions such as chornic dirrehoae, weight loss and slamonella or shigella, and on conditions such as lymphoma, anal cancer and head and neck

Question 11

What are the aims of HIV treatmetn?

Answer 11

Undetectable HIV viral load, reconsituted immune system , reduced risk of transmission and a normalised life span

Question 12

Why do we use 3 drugs in HIV treatment?

Answer 12

As millions of virsuses are made each day there is potnetial for them to mutate and then become drug resistant, and therefore by taking 3 at once you help to prevent the virsuses from becoming drug resistant

Question 13

What are some of the feautres of acute hepatitis B?

Answer 13

Has an incubation period of 6 weeks to 6 months, AST?ALT is found to be in the hundereds, up to 50% of people with the condition will have no or vaggue systmpoms, and becomes chronic in 6-10% of infected adults.

Question 14

What are the series of antigens and antibodies that are produced in acute heaptitis B?

Answer 14

There is the surface antigen first and this is then followed by the e antigen and is highly infectous at this stage, this is then followed by the core antibody (IgM), which is followed by the e antibody, and then the surface antibody and then the core antibody (IgG) which helpts to give you long term immunity

Question 15

What are some of the features of a chronic Hep B infection?

Answer 15

Is persistance of the surface anitgen (HBs Ag) after 6 months of infection, there is no cure and therefore is treated with life long antiviras however treament may not be needed in inactive carriers, who have a low viral load, normal liver function tests and ild fibrosis

Question 16

What are some of the effects of chornic heptatitis?

Answer 16

Leads to cirrhosis and about 5% of those infected will develop hepatocellular carcinoma

Question 17

What are some of the features of the Hepatitis B vaccination?

Answer 17

Uses genetically engineered surface antigen, and there are 3 doses and possibly top ups required

Question 18

What anitbodies will you see present in acute infecitons?

Answer 18

Surface anitgen, core antibody, and then surface antibody

Question 19

What serology will you see present if the patient has had a past cleared infection?

Answer 19

You will see no surface antigen, and will see core antibody and surface anitbody presene.

Question 20

What serology will you see if the patient has a chronic infection?

Answer 20

Surface antigen, core antibody and surface antibody

Question 21

What serology will you see in a vaccinated patient?

Answer 21

You would see surface antibody only, no surface antigen or core antibody

Question 22

Who is at risk of transmission of hepatitis C?

Answer 22

Crack users or heronin smokers, those who have had a blood transfusion prior to 1991, infants born to HCV postive mothersm and people who have had sexual contact with a hepatitis C infected person

Question 23

What are the symptoms of heaptitis C?

Answer 23

80% of those infected are not symptomatic, whereas 20% have vauge symptoms such as fatigue, anorexia and dark urine, as well as abdominal pain

Question 24

How does hepatitis C progress?

Answer 24

80% of people become chronically infected, of whome some will deveolp chornci liver disease or cirrhosis that can result in decompensate liver disease, hepatomtom transplant or death

Question 25

How can you treat hepatitis C?

Answer 25

An 8-12 week course of antiretroviral drugs, however this is extremley expensive