Primary Hiv Infection

The book provides a guideline for primary care in treating and managing people with HIV infection. It includes, counselling, care of people dying, information on anti-retroviral therapy,ethical and moral consideration,mother to child transmission, TB and sexually transmitted infections.

A practical guide for primary health care personnel in the clinical and supportive care of people with HIV/AIDS. This book is a user-friendly, practical guide for medical personnel who treat, care for, or support people with HIV/AIDS at the primary care level. This updated edition addresses many areas including TB, STDs, HIV testing, counselling, treatment, education terminal care, specific needs of women and children, mother to child transmission and risk and injury to health care personnel. Illustrations are used throughout the book to promote a caring, accepting attidue to AIDS. In addition to doctors and primary care nurses, this book is also useful for counsellors, social workers, psychologists, alternative health care professionals and therapists. It also serves as a useful reference guide in clinics and in the training of personnel.

New therapies have changed the way doctors care for people with HIV, and have shifted treatment strategies to the outpatient setting. BUCKLEY: HIV INFECTION IN PRIMARY CARE is designed to give primary care providers concise and practical information on the diagnosis and management of patients infected with HIV. Part I, Early Infection, focuses on evaluating and testing patients at risk for HIV infection. These chapters will discuss how to monitor patients' immune system and when and how to treat them during this first stage, and keep them well for as long as possible. Part II focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of opportunistic infections and other manifestations of progressive infection. Part III discusses some special aspects of HIV infection, and the differential diagnosis of common syndromes in full blown AIDS.

Identification of the HIV-infected persons is most essential. Suspect HIV infection on clinical grounds in patients exposed to HIV infection in unprotected sex or via injections in patients with a history of high-risk behaviour and who present with symptoms suggesting primary HIV infection in patients with unexplained immunosuppression and in young individuals with weight loss, dementia or oesophageal candidiasis, thrombocytopenia or anaemia without a clear cause. An HIV test will become positive in 1 to 3 months after contracting the infection. To exclude the possibility of HIV infection, the development of antibodies should be followed up until 3 months have elapsed. The primary symptoms may become manifest 2 to 6 weeks after the transmission. There is no cure for HIV infection, but a combination therapy (HAART – highly active antiretroviral therapy) has greatly improved the patients' outlook .

During the last 5 years, major advances have been made in our understanding of the pathogenesis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease and in the development of new potent antiviral agents. With regard to HIV pathogenesis, several recent observations have not only changed our perspectives of HIV disease, but have been critical for the design of therapeutic strategies.