Health care workers and Aids
All health care workers - be that medical doctors, nursing staff or other support personnel - run the risk of being infected, and because of their unique employment environment should even be more careful and should demand that correct protocol be followed and maintained at all times.
health care providers, aids, professionals, doctors, dentists, nurses, protocol, infected, needle, sharps on this page
* Exposure to the HIV virus
* Needle stick injury
* Some simple guidelines
Exposure to the HIV virus
Should a health care worker be exposed to the HIV virus, post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) drugs should be taken within 3 hours or no later than 24 - 48 hours after the incident.
Depending on the circumstances a 2 or 3 drug regimen is normally followed for a four week period.
This also applies to percutaneous exposure (needle stick injury) as well as mucocutaneous exposure (transmission by means of mucous membrane and/or skin) - although the transmission danger is less through mucocutaneous exposure.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009
HIV Immune Responses are Random
HIV Immune Responses are Random
New research shows the body's defenses against HIV are random rather than genetically determined, which may be why it's so difficult to develop an AIDS vaccine. The UCLA AIDS Institute study shows the immune systems in two HIV-positive identical twins responded to the infection in different ways.
In 1983, male twins were infected with HIV shortly after their births in Los Angeles by blood transfusions from the same donor at the same time. The twins have been exposed to the same environmental factors, yet their T-cell receptors reacted differently in each twin. Researchers say this shows the body's defense response is random and unpredictable.
"These boys are as similar as two humans can be, yet we see differences in how they fight the virus," says Paul Krogstad, Ph.D., study researcher and professor of pediatrics and pharmacology. "That's one more thing that makes it difficult to develop a vaccine for everyone."
UCLA researchers say the study results have broader implications and could apply to other viruses, such as hepatitis C and herpes viruses.
New research shows the body's defenses against HIV are random rather than genetically determined, which may be why it's so difficult to develop an AIDS vaccine. The UCLA AIDS Institute study shows the immune systems in two HIV-positive identical twins responded to the infection in different ways.
In 1983, male twins were infected with HIV shortly after their births in Los Angeles by blood transfusions from the same donor at the same time. The twins have been exposed to the same environmental factors, yet their T-cell receptors reacted differently in each twin. Researchers say this shows the body's defense response is random and unpredictable.
"These boys are as similar as two humans can be, yet we see differences in how they fight the virus," says Paul Krogstad, Ph.D., study researcher and professor of pediatrics and pharmacology. "That's one more thing that makes it difficult to develop a vaccine for everyone."
UCLA researchers say the study results have broader implications and could apply to other viruses, such as hepatitis C and herpes viruses.
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