HIV/AIDS Flashcards
What is HAART?
Highly active anti-retroviral therapy
What are the units of viral load?
RNA copies/ml
What are the aims for viral load with treatment?
To be undetectable < 50 cpm bc lower viral load means less transmission
What does the CD4 count show and determine?
- It shows the degree of immune damage
- It determines when to start anti-retroviral therapy
What is the natural course of of HIV/AIDS over 5-20 years?
1) Acute infection and seroconversion
2) Asymptomatic (transmission occurs)
3) HIV related illness e.g. weight loss, night sweats
4) AIDS defining illness
5) Death
What is a normal CD4 count?
> 350
At what CD4 count do most AIDS diagnoses occur?
< 200
What is seroconversion?
When the body makes antibodies against the virus
How does the virus enter CD4 cells?
Via CD4 receptors
How can you reduce perinatal HIV transmission?
- Early HIV diagnosis
- Treatment for mother to reduce viral load
- Appropriate delivery method
- Avoid breastfeeding
What prophylaxis treatment can be given for HIV?
PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis)
What are clinical features of primary HIV infection (acute seroconversion)?
- Fever, rash, sore throat
- Glandular fever-like illness
- Lymphadenopathy
- Malaise, myalgia, arthralgia, diarrhoea
- Neurological symptoms e.g. meningitis, encephalitis, neuropathy, myelopathy
- Ulceration (oral, ano-genital)
Does everyone with primary HIV infection have symptoms and why?
No, viral replication rate may be slow or CD4 count is steady or falls slowly
What are viral differential diagnoses of HIV seroconversion?
- Infectious mononucleosis
- CMV
- Rubella
- HSV
- Adenovirus
- Hep B/C
- Flu
What are bacterial differential diagnoses of HIV seroconversion?
- Secondary syphilis
- Streptococcal pharyngitis
What are protozoal differential diagnoses of HIV seroconversion?
Toxoplasmosis
What are neoplastic differential diagnoses of HIV seroconversion?
- Lymphoma
- Leukaemia