Intervention in early HIV infection

Todays OR Nurse. 1992 Jul;14(7):17-21.

Abstract

1. The primary goals of early intervention in HIV infection are to prevent or delay disease progression and to interrupt HIV transmission. 2. After assessing the stage of a patient's infection, the next goal of early intervention is to minimize the risk of progression. The initial assessment of an HIV-infected individual should include a comprehensive evaluation of all previous disease exposures that might become problematic with immune system compromise. 3. Two antiviral agents are licensed to treat HIV infection: zidovudine and didanosine. Only zidovudine is approved for treatment of early HIV infection and is recommended for all HIV-positive adults with or without symptoms of disease progression who have absolute CD4 helper cell counts less than 500.

MeSH terms

  • Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / classification
  • Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / diagnosis
  • Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / therapy*
  • Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use
  • HIV Seropositivity / diagnosis
  • HIV Seropositivity / therapy*
  • Humans
  • Patient Education as Topic*

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents