Chapter 4: HIV Associated Symptoms And Diseases Flashcards
What are the stages of HIV infection
Stage 1 asymptomatic
Infected person shows no symptoms but virus remains active in body which continues to weaken the immune by replication.
Stage 2 mild symptoms Minor and early symptoms of HIV begin to appear. Symptoms include: Moderate unexplained weight loss Recurrent upper respiratory tract infections Herpes zoster Fungal infections Oral ulcers Skin infections
Stage 3 advanced symptoms Signs of severe HIV related diseases and opportunistic infections start to show with a continuous deteriorating immune system. CD4 T cells are low while viral load is much higher. Symptoms include Unexplained severe weight loss. Unexplained chronic diarrhoea Unexplained persistent fever Persistent oral candidiasis Pulmonary tuberculosis Severe bacterial infections
Stage 4 severe symptoms Symptoms of HIV become more acute where person is infected by rare and unusual organisms that don't respond to antibiotics and more persistent untreatable opportunistic infections develop. Symptoms include Hiv wasting syndrome Pneumonia Chronic herpes simplex Oesophageal candidiasis
What is a CD4+T cell count test
The lab test most used to estimate the level of immune deficiency in HIV infected individuals by counting CD4+T cells.
What is the relationship between Viral load and CD4+T cell
High viral load results in low CD4+T cells count since the virus kills these cells. A low viral load will mean a high CD4+T cell count because of a small amount of virus present in body fluids.
What is disease progression
The extent to which an HIV positive person gets sick with opportunistic infections.
What is primary HIV infection
Is the early stages of infection or period between infection and time antibodies to HIV are detectable which occurs after seroconversion has taken place.
Explain what acute retroviral syndrome is and the symptoms associated.
Occurs 2-6 weeks after exposure to HIV. This has flu like symptoms such as headache, sore throat,muscle and joint pain, fever,fatigue
What is meant by undetectable viral load
When viral level in blood is too low for HIV viral load test to pick it up where person is still infected but number of virus in blood is very low.
How can you prevent opportunistic infections
Prevent exposure:
Safe water supply Proper food hygiene Prevent exposure to TB Controlling maleria outbreak Encourage safe sex practice
Chemoprophylaxis: is the use of antimicrobial agents to prevent opportunistic infections.
Includes:
Co-trimoxazole preventative therapy
Cryptococcus screening treatment
Isoniazid preventative therapy.
What is the difference between primary prophylaxis and secondary prophylaxis
Purpose of primary prophylaxis is to prevent an opportunistic infection that has never occurred in person
Purpose of secondary prophylaxis is to prevent the reoccurance of infection meaning person had infection before.
Discuss TB and it’s link with HIV
TB is a microorganism the bacillus myobacterium tuberculosis which is the most serious and common opportunistic infection in HIV positive patients.
Pulmonary tuberculosis occuring in the lungs is the most common since it is airborne and easily transmissible.
Extra-pulmonary TB is the spread to other areas like lymph nodes meninges spine joints and other parts of the body.
Transmission depends on :
How many organisms are expelled into the air.
What the concentration is of the organism
How long an exposed person breathes contaminated air.
Discuss the stages of TB development
The primary stage involves when a person first comes into contact with TB bacilli which is usually asymptomatic and immune system can bring infection under control. The bacterium then lies dormant for a number of years.
Secondary stage involves endogenous reactivation of the latent infection or exogenous reinfection. Endogenous infection usually occurs when immunity of host is compromised due to malnutrition,stress cancer etc.
What are the 4 main symptoms of pulmonary TB
Persistent cough
Fever for more than 2 weeks
Unexplained weight loss
Drenching night sweats.
Other symptoms include
Sputum production that’s blood stained
Loss of appetite
Shortness of breath
Palpable lymphadenopathy
What are the tests used for TB
Smear microscopy
Culture methods
Molecular testing
What treatment is available for TB
Isoniazid
Rifampicin
Pyrazinamide
Ethambutol
Streptomycin
Which 4 drugs compose of the intensive phase
Isoniazid
Rifampicin
Pyrazinamide
Ethambutol
