HIV AIDS Nursing: Symptoms, Pathophysiology, Life Cycle, Treatment, ART NCLEX

RegisteredNurseRN・2 minutes read

HIV targets CD4 positive cells, affecting the immune system and leading to AIDS, but antiretroviral therapy can improve patient outcomes and quality of life. Prevention, early diagnosis, and appropriate treatments like PrEP and PEP are crucial in reducing HIV transmission and managing the virus effectively.

Insights

  • HIV targets crucial white blood cells called helper T cells, leading to a weakened immune system over time by hijacking and killing them, ultimately progressing through stages to AIDS, which has the shortest life expectancy.
  • Antiretroviral therapy (ART) can significantly improve CD4 counts, overall quality of life, and helper T cell counts for HIV patients, underscoring the importance of early initiation upon diagnosis to lower viral load, reduce transmission risk, and prevent opportunistic infections.

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Recent questions

  • What is the difference between HIV and AIDS?

    HIV is the virus that causes AIDS.

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Summary

00:00

Understanding HIV: Transmission, Progression, and Treatment

  • HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, while AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome.
  • HIV targets CD4 positive cells, including helper T cells, macrophages, monocytes, and dendritic cells.
  • Helper T cells are crucial white blood cells that help fight infection, but HIV hijacks and kills them over time, leading to a weakened immune system.
  • HIV infection progresses through stages: acute, chronic, and AIDS, with the latter having the shortest life expectancy.
  • Antiretroviral therapy (ART) can improve CD4 counts, helper T cell counts, and overall quality of life for HIV patients.
  • Since the beginning of the epidemic, approximately 79.3 million people have been infected with HIV, with 36.3 million deaths, and 37.7 million people currently living with the virus.
  • HIV transmission depends on factors like viral load, type of contact, and the immune system of the potentially infected person.
  • HIV is transmitted through specific bodily fluids like blood, semen, vaginal fluid, or breast milk, and activities like unprotected sexual contact, needle sharing, or contaminated blood products.
  • HIV is not transmitted through activities like hugging, kissing, touching, or insect bites, as the virus requires specific bodily fluids to survive.
  • The pathophysiology of HIV involves the virus targeting CD4 positive cells, particularly helper T cells, through a complex life cycle involving attachment, fusion, replication, assembly, and budding.

17:11

Understanding HIV: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention

  • Normal count for HIV is 500 to 1500 cells per millimeter, with less than 200 indicating progression to AIDS and increased risk of opportunistic infections due to low helper T cell count.
  • Antiretroviral therapy should be initiated immediately upon HIV diagnosis to lower viral load, reduce transmission risk, and prevent opportunistic infections.
  • Chronic infection stage follows acute stage, characterized by disappearing symptoms, lower viral load, CD4 count between 200 and 500, and absence of opportunistic infections.
  • AIDS stage signifies immune system destruction, high viral load, increased transmission risk, and shortened survival time without medication.
  • Diagnosis of AIDS is based on CD4 count below 200 or presence of opportunistic infections.
  • Opportunistic infections in advanced HIV stages include cancerous (Kaposi sarcoma), viral (cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr), bacterial (Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Salmonella), fungal (candidiasis, coccidioidomycosis), and protozoal (toxoplasmosis, cryptosporidiosis).
  • Preventative measures for opportunistic infections include safe water consumption, cooked foods, avoiding risky activities, updated vaccinations, limited exposure to animal feces, and adherence to antiretroviral therapy.
  • Nurses play a crucial role in HIV screening, identifying at-risk individuals, educating patients, monitoring progression, and ordering necessary tests.
  • Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) are preventive measures for high-risk individuals to avoid HIV transmission.
  • Education on limiting activities that transmit HIV, partner notification, and avoiding breastfeeding for HIV-positive pregnant women is essential to prevent virus transmission.

32:57

HIV Inhibitors: Trogarzo, Reucovia, Maravaroc, Infuvertide

  • Post attachment inhibitors like Trogarzo bind with CD4 receptors to inhibit gp120 from activating and engaging co-receptors like cxcr4 or ccr5; Trogarzo is administered via IV every two weeks.
  • Attachment inhibitors such as Reucovia prevent HIV from attaching to receptors by binding to gp120 and inhibiting engagement with CD4 receptors; Reucovia is in pill form.
  • Entry inhibitors like Maravaroc block HIV from entering cells by targeting co-receptors like ccr5; Maravaroc is taken in pill form.
  • Fusion inhibitors like Infuvertide prevent HIV from fusing with CD4 cells; Infuvertide is administered via sub-q fat injections.
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