Adult Health- Care of HIV Patient
How can HIV be transmitted?
-Sexually: genital, anal or oral -Blood -Needles (accidental or sharing) -Breastfeeding (perinatal)
what is AIDS?
AIDS is the end stage of the HIV infection in which it has attacked & weakened a person's immune system
what can HIV progress to?
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
what type of precautions for AIDS?
Airbone Precautions (could develop TB)
if you are an HIV mother, should you or not breast feel your new born child?
HIV positive mothers should NOT breast feed (risk of transmission)
what is Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis?
HIV-specific anti-retrovial drug for select "at risk individuals" i.e homosexual men; heterosexual adults (use of injections), serodiscordant relationships (1 HIV infected, 1 not)
what is Viral Load?
Viral load measures amount of HIV in 1ml of blood (*test to understand medication therapy effectiveness*)
when should you get HIV screened?
between ages 18-65 & if prenatal (*800 = HIV infection*)
how to diagnose HIV?
blood test (should have anual testing done recommended by CDC if sexually active)
what is Antrietrovial Therapy (ART)?
daily use of a combination of IV medicines to treat HIV (ART saves lives but does NOT cure HIV)
what are some reasons why nutrition is decreased w/ AIDS?
fatigue, difficulty swallowing, diarrhea, wasting syndrome
wha are S/S of HIV?
flu like symptoms; weight loss; N/V; diarrhea; fever & confusion
recommend what to AIDS patient w/ nutrition deficit
foods in high calories/proteins, weight & drink fluids
what kind of opportunistic infections are caused by HIV/AIDS?
fungal infections, candida (thrush), esopagitis, vaginal candidiasis, TB (night sweats/flu symtpoms), pneumonia or shingles
what is Kaposi's Sacroma (KS)?
herpes in combination w/ AIDS
if viral load is high, what does that indicate?
higher than 1000 mL, HIV is reproducing (further investigation)
what is HIV?
human immunodeficiency virus world-wide epidmeic (50,000 diagnosed annually)
what are opportunistic infections?
infections that strike people whose immune systems are weakened by HIV/AIDS
if your viral load is low, is that good or bad?
lower than 40 indicates undetecable HIV but transmission could still occur
note that those w/ AIDS have difficulty w/ what when it comes to nutrition?
maintaining weight/food intake
how should health care workers initate transmission precautions?
needle locking devices, sharp containers, unverisal precautions & safety 24/7
when giving this therapy of cART, what is important to note as a Nurse?
never skip or hold HIV medication w/o consultation (immune system so fragile); HIV medications taken on schedule to prevent resistance
how can healthworkers become exposed to HIV?
occuptional exposure (mucous membranes or broken skin) and/or blood tissues (secretions) from patient to worker
what are some home safety practices to prevent HIV?
safe needle, safe sex, don't share bodily fluids, clean bodily fluids; wear gloves when using bleach
what is Post-Exposure Prophylaxis?
the administration of medications (within hours) to prevent infection from the agent which the person was exposed (i.e occuputional exposure; sexual assult)
what does this ART drug do?
tricks the virus & prevents drug resistant (slows progression but never kills the virus- helps but doesnt cure)
does HIV have a cure?
virus that has NO known cure & attacks immune system by destroying healthy immune cells & replicating itself (lives inside a host); takes over our cells & immune system
