Every thing you want to know about Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) – causes AIDS.

- retrovirus

- belongs to lentevirus, also called “slow virus”.

What are Signs and Symptoms: 

•  AIDS-related Complex (ARC)
•   Memory loss
•   Altered gait
•   Depression
•   Sleep disorders
•   Chronic diarrhea

Minor Symptoms of AIDS:

·         Persistent cough for one

·         month

·         Generalized pruritic

·         dermatitis

·         Recurrent herpes zoster

·         Oropharyngeal candidiasis

·         Chronic disseminated

·         herpes simplex

·         Generalized

·         lymphadenopathy

Major Signs of AIDS:

·         Loss of weight – 10%

·         of body weight

·         Chronic diarrhea for

·         more than one month

·         Prolonged fever for

·         one month

Common Opportunistic Infections  :

Pneumocystis carinii peumonia

Oral candidiasis

·         Toxoplasmosis of the CNS

·         Chronic diarrhea/wasting syndrome

·         Pulmonary/extra-pulmonary tuberculosis

·         Cancers (Kaposi’s sarcoma, cervical

·         dysplasia & cancer, Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma)

Mode of Transmission of AIDS

·         Sexual intercourse

·         Blood transfusion and sharing of infected syringes and needles among intravenous drug users

·         Vertical or perinatal transmission (from a pregnant woman to the fetus during pregnancy, child delivery, or breastfeeding)

Diagnostic Examinations of AIDS

·         EIA or ELISA – Enzyme link immunosorbent assay

·         Particle Agglutination (PA) test

·         Western Blot analysis – confirmatory diagnostic test

·         Immunofluorescent test

·         Radio immuno-precipitation assay (RIPA)

Treatment Modalitie

“AIDS Drugs” – medicines used to treat but not to cure HIV infection.

- referred to as “anteroviral drugs”.

- inhibits the reproduction of the virus.

Nursing Management in AIDS

1. Health Education

·         know the patient

·         avoid fear tactics

·         avoid judgmental and moralistic messages

·         be consistent and concise

·         use positive statement

·         give practical advice

2. Practice universal/standard precaution

b. Thorough medical hand washing after every contact with patient and after removing the gown and gloves, and before leaving the room of an AIDS suspect or known AIDS patient.

c. Use of Universal barrier or Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

3. Prevention

b. Avoid accidental pricks from sharp instruments contaminated with potentially infectious materials from AIDS patient.

c. Wear gloves when handling blood specimens and other body secretions

d. Label blood and other specimens with special warning “AIDS Precaution”.

4. Blood spills should be cleaned immediately using common household disinfectants, like “chlorox”.

5. Needles should not be bent after use, but should be disposed into a puncture-resistant container.

6. Personal articles should not be shared with other members of the family.

7. Patients with active AIDS should be isolated.