Prophylaxis of opportunistic infections Flashcards
What are opportunistic infections?
Infections that are more frequent/severe because of HIV-mediated immunosuppression
-Get into CD4 cells and destroys them –> some CD4 counts never rebound & will need to maintain prophylaxis
Common historical infections
PJP
Toxoplasma encephalitis
CMV retinitis
Cryptococcal meningitis
TB
MAC disease
Histoplasmosis
Other pneumonias
Kaposi sarcoma
Lymphomas
3 key aspects of HIV
Decreased CD4 count
Inflammation
Immune cell activation
Normal CD4 counts in adults
800-1200 cells/mm3
**ALWAYS a delayed CD4 count drop
**Once pts get back up to this level, they are no longer considered immunocompromised
CD4 counts < _____ cells/mm3, and especially < ___ cells/mm3 are associated with the development of OI
500
200
Why is there still morbidity/mortality from OI
Some pts don’t know they have HIV
Some don’t want to take meds
Financial/psychosocial issues
DRUG INTERACTIONS
Get the ___ that the person you got it from has. Example:
Strain
If the person you got it from has a strain resistant to a med, you are resistant to that same med
Which infections can occur at any CD4 cell count
Mycobacterium TB
Pneumonias
Dermatomal Varicella zoster
CD4 count < 500 cells/mm3 infections
Candidiasis and leukoplakia (redish/raw lesion in mouth)
CD4 count < 200 cells/mm3 infections
PJP, CMV retinitis, toxoplasmosis, MAC, cryptococcus meningitis or diarrhea, lymphomas, and Kaposi’s sarcoma
** Incidence really starts going up here
TB and syphilis can ____ the viral load which ____ risk of viral transmission and progression
Increases
Increases
What are 2 main symptoms/clinical clues of low CD4 counts
Night sweats and weight loss
Primary prophylaxis
Administration of an anti-infective agent to prevent the FIRST episode of a particular OI in a patient living with HIV when they are at risk for developing that OI based on their CD4 count
**For pts already with HIV; do not give prophylaxis to everyone
Secondary prophylaxis
-Chronic maintenance/chronic suppressive therapy
-Administration of anti-infective therapy to prevent further recurrences of a particular OI in a patient living with HIV after they have been successfully treated for that OI and remain at risk for developing that OI based on their CD4 cell count
**Already had the OI
Initiation of ART during an acute OI is very useful in the management of OIs for which ______.
Examples of infections this is beneficial for
Effective therapy is not available
PML, cryptosporidiosis, Kaposi’s sarcoma
**No good drugs for these, so try to get viral load < 20 ASAP
Disadvantages to immediately starting ART for acute OI
IRIS
Overlapping or additive drug toxicities
Drug interactions between ART and OI tx
What is IRIS
Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome
-Fever, inflammation, and worsening clinical manifestations of OI
-More likely to occur in pts with low CD4 count (<50 cells/mm3) and high HIV RNA levels (>100,000 copies/ml)
-Most clinicians wait for a clinical response to OI tx, usually 2 weeks before starting ART
Exception to waiting 2 weeks between OI tx and ART
Start ART within 2 weeks of starting TB tx if CD4 count , 50 cells/mm3 or within 8 weeks if CD4 count is higher
If IRIS is going to happen, it is most common within the first ____ of ART
4-8 weeks
IRIS tx
- Treat the OI (bc sx may get worse)
- Mild disease: NSAID for fever/pain
Inhaled corticosteroid for bronchospasms - Severe disease: Prednisone 1-2 mg/kg daily x 1-2 weeks followed by a taper
**Avoid steroids in cryptococcal meningitis or Kaposi’s sarcoma
Common infections in today’s era
- Infections from Candida spp
- Infections due to Cryptococcus neoformans
- Histoplasmosis
- Infections due to Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC)
- Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP)
- Infections due to Toxoplasma gondii
When do infections with Candida spp mainly occur
When CD4 count < 200 cells/mm3
Majority of Candida spp infections are caused by ____ which is usually susceptible to ______
Candida albicans
Fluconazole
Candida infections due to non-albicans spp and/or fluconazole-R organisms may develop in pts who have received _______________
Repeated or long-term exposure to fluconazole