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Nikka Shanna Lingolingo Hiv (
Nikka Shanna Lingolingo Hiv (
What is HIV?
a sexually transmitted infection (STI). It can also be spread by contact with infected blood or
from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth or breast-feeding. Without medication, it may
take years before HIV weakens your immune system to the point that you have AIDS.
There's no cure for HIV/AIDS, but medications can dramatically slow the progression of the
disease. These drugs have reduced AIDS deaths in many developed nations.
HIV stands for ‘human immunodeficiency virus’. HIV belongs to a group of viruses called
retroviruses. HIV attacks white blood cells within the immune system. These cells will stay
infected for the rest of their lives. If untreated, HIV will develop into AIDS.
AIDS stands for ‘acquired immune deficiency syndrome’. (It’s sometimes referred to as ‘late
stage HIV’ or ‘advanced HIV disease’.) It is an umbrella term for the illnesses that occur due
to having untreated HIV infection for several years, by which point the immune system is
severely damaged and unable to fight off infections. The illnesses and symptoms will vary for
each person that has AIDS, but may include life-threatening infections and cancers
Every person who has AIDS has HIV, but not every person with HIV will develop AIDS.
Because there are now lots of treatment options available for people living with HIV, far
fewer people are developing AIDS. Often, those that do develop AIDS are people who
have not been tested for HIV and have never taken treatment. Once started on HIV
treatment, death due to AIDS can be prevented.
Symptoms
Some people infected by HIV develop a flu-like illness within two to four weeks after the virus enters
the body. This illness, known as primary (acute) HIV infection, may last for a few weeks. Possible
signs and symptoms include:
Fever
Headache
Rash
Diarrhea
Weight loss
Cough
Night sweats
These symptoms can be so mild that you might not even notice them. However, the amount of virus in
your bloodstream (viral load) is quite high at this time. As a result, the infection spreads more easily
during primary infection than during the next stage.
In this stage of infection, HIV is still present in the body and in white blood cells. However, many
people may not have any symptoms or infections during this time.
This stage can last for many years if you're not receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART). Some people
develop more severe disease much sooner.
As the virus continues to multiply and destroy your immune cells — the cells in your body that help
fight off germs — you may develop mild infections or chronic signs and symptoms such as:
Fever
Fatigue
Diarrhea
Weight loss
Pneumonia
When AIDS occurs, your immune system has been severely damaged. You'll be more likely to
develop opportunistic infections or opportunistic cancers — diseases that wouldn't usually cause
illness in a person with a healthy immune system.
Sweats
Chills
Recurring fever
Chronic diarrhea
Swollen lymph glands
Weakness
Weight loss
Causes
HIV is caused by a virus. It can spread through sexual contact or blood, or from mother to child during
pregnancy, childbirth or breast-feeding.
HIV destroys CD4 T cells — white blood cells that play a large role in helping your body fight disease.
The fewer CD4 T cells you have, the weaker your immune system becomes.
You can have an HIV infection, with few or no symptoms, for years before it turns into AIDS. AIDS is
diagnosed when the CD4 T cell count falls below 200 or you have an AIDS-defining complication,
such as a serious infection or cancer.
To become infected with HIV, infected blood, semen or vaginal secretions must enter your body. This
can happen in several ways:
By having sex. You may become infected if you have vaginal, anal or oral sex with an
infected partner whose blood, semen or vaginal secretions enter your body. The virus can enter
your body through mouth sores or small tears that sometimes develop in the rectum or vagina
during sexual activity.
You can't become infected with HIV through ordinary contact. That means you can't
catch HIV or AIDS by hugging, kissing, dancing or shaking hands with someone who has the
infection.
Risk factors
Anyone of any age, race, sex or sexual orientation can be infected with HIV/AIDS. However, you're at
greatest risk of HIV/AIDS if you:
Have unprotected sex. Use a new latex or polyurethane condom every time you have sex.
Anal sex is more risky than is vaginal sex. Your risk of HIV increases if you have multiple sexual
partners.
Use IV drugs. People who use IV drugs often share needles and syringes. This exposes
them to droplets of other people's blood.
Complications
HIV infection weakens your immune system, making you much more likely to develop many infections
and certain types of cancers.
Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP). This fungal infection can cause severe illness. Although
it's declined significantly with current treatments for HIV/AIDS, in the U.S. PCP is still the most
common cause of pneumonia in people infected with HIV.
Lymphoma. This cancer starts in the white blood cells. The most common early sign is
painless swelling of the lymph nodes in your neck, armpit or groin.
Kaposi's sarcoma. A tumor of the blood vessel walls, Kaposi's sarcoma usually appears as
pink, red or purple lesions on the skin and mouth. In people with darker skin, the lesions may
look dark brown or black. Kaposi's sarcoma can also affect the internal organs, including the
digestive tract and lungs.
Other complications
Liver disease. Liver disease is also a major complication, especially in people who also have
hepatitis B or hepatitis C.
Prevention
There's no vaccine to prevent HIV infection and no cure for AIDS. But you can protect yourself and
others from infection.
To help prevent the spread of HIV:
Use post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) if you've been exposed to HIV. If you think you've
been exposed through sex, needles or in the workplace, contact your doctor or go to the
emergency department. Taking PEP as soon as possible within the first 72 hours can greatly
reduce your risk of becoming infected with HIV. You will need to take medication for 28 days.
Use a new condom every time you have sex. Use a new condom every time you have anal
or vaginal sex. Women can use a female condom. If using a lubricant, make sure it's water-
based. Oil-based lubricants can weaken condoms and cause them to break. During oral sex use
a nonlubricated, cut-open condom or a dental dam — a piece of medical-grade latex.
Your doctor will prescribe these drugs for HIV prevention only if you don't already
have HIV infection. You will need an HIV test before you start taking PrEP and then
every three months as long as you're taking it. Your doctor will also test your kidney
function before prescribing Truvada and continue to test it every six months.
You need to take the drugs every day. They don't prevent other STDs, so you'll still need
to practice safe sex. If you have hepatitis B, you should be evaluated by an infectious
disease or liver specialist before beginning therapy.
Tell your sexual partners if you have HIV. It's important to tell all your current and past
sexual partners that you're HIV-positive. They'll need to be tested.
Use a clean needle. If you use a needle to inject drugs, make sure it's sterile and don't share
it. Take advantage of needle-exchange programs in your community. Consider seeking help for
your drug use.
If you're pregnant, get medical care right away. If you're HIV-positive, you may pass the
infection to your baby. But if you receive treatment during pregnancy, you can significantly cut
your baby's risk.
Consider male circumcision. There's evidence that male circumcision can help reduce the
risk of getting HIV infection.
Diagnosis
Antigen/antibody tests. These tests usually involve drawing blood from a vein. Antigens are
substances on the HIV virus itself and are usually detectable — a positive test — in the blood
within a few weeks after exposure to HIV.
Antibodies are produced by your immune system when it's exposed to HIV. It can take weeks to
months for antibodies to become detectable. The combination antigen/antibody tests can take
two to six weeks after exposure to become positive.
Antibody tests. These tests look for antibodies to HIV in blood or saliva. Most
rapid HIV tests, including self-tests done at home, are antibody tests. Antibody tests can take
three to 12 weeks after you're exposed to become positive.
Nucleic acid tests (NATs). These tests look for the actual virus in your blood (viral load).
They also involve blood drawn from a vein. If you might have been exposed to HIV within the
past few weeks, your doctor may recommend NAT. NAT will be the first test to become positive
after exposure to HIV.
Talk to your doctor about which HIV test is right for you. If any of these tests are negative, you may
still need a follow-up test weeks to months later to confirm the results.
If you've been diagnosed with HIV, it's important to find a specialist trained in diagnosing and
treating HIV to help you:
Monitor your progress and work with you to manage your health
If you receive a diagnosis of HIV/AIDS, several tests can help your doctor determine the stage of your
disease and the best treatment, including:
CD4 T cell count. CD4 T cells are white blood cells that are specifically targeted and
destroyed by HIV. Even if you have no symptoms, HIV infection progresses to AIDS when your
CD4 T cell count dips below 200.
Viral load (HIV RNA). This test measures the amount of virus in your blood. After
starting HIV treatment the goal is to have an undetectable viral load. This significantly reduces
your chances of opportunistic infection and other HIV-related complications.
Drug resistance. Some strains of HIV are resistant to medications. This test helps your
doctor determine if your specific form of the virus has resistance and guides treatment decisions.
Tests for complications
Your doctor might also order lab tests to check for other infections or complications, including:
Tuberculosis
STIs
Cytomegalovirus
Toxoplasmosis
Treatment
Currently, there's no cure for HIV/AIDS. Once you have the infection, your body can't get rid of it.
However, there are many medications that can control HIV and prevent complications. These
medications are called antiretroviral therapy (ART). Everyone diagnosed with HIV should be started
on ART, regardless of their stage of infection or complications.
ART is usually a combination of three or more medications from several different drug classes. This
approach has the best chance of lowering the amount of HIV in the blood. There are
many ART options that combine three HIV medications into one pill, taken once daily.
Each class of drugs blocks the virus in different ways. Treatment involves combinations of drugs from
different classes to:
Two drugs from one class, plus a third drug from a second class, are typically used.
The classes of anti-HIV drugs include:
Entry or fusion inhibitors block HIV's entry into CD4 T cells. Examples include enfuvirtide
(Fuzeon) and maraviroc (Selzentry).
Nursing Assessment
Nursing assessment includes identification of potential risk factors, including a history of risky sexual
practices or IV/injection drug use.
Diagnosis
The list of potential nursing diagnoses is extensive because of the complex nature of the disease.
Nursing Interventions
Evaluation
Expected patient outcomes may include: