HIV AIDS

“Enough time” is one of the necessary components of what it takes to be a “good” doctor. Here’s how this doctor defines “enough.”

Abrasions, ecchymoses, and a 3-cm laceration led to infection with Morganella morganii. What do you know about this pathogen? In this quiz: questions on wounds that resulted from falls.

Statins effectively lower levels of various pro-inflammatory markers of immune activation. So can statin therapy prevent CVD events in HIV-infected persons?

Details here about a quick reference guide for HIV primary care clinicians caring for HIV in older adults.

The FDA proposes to ease its lifetime ban on blood donations by men who have sex with men (MSM), but proposes to block donations by MSM within the last year. Here’s the rationale.

It turns out that where a patient gets a diagnosis of HIV affects how quickly he or she gets treatment for the infection.

Low-cost interventions can improve compliance with HIV therapy, which is directly linked to viral suppression and reduced transmission to partners.

If we had a vaccine that was as effective at reducing HIV infection as circumcision, it would be a recommended vaccine here in the US, argues this pediatrician.

Primary care clinicians take note: here’s a case for routine screening and treatment of early cryptococcal infection, given its prevalence and sequelae in patients with HIV/AIDS.

This AIDS specialist offers his rank-order list of the top 10 HIV clinical trials that really made a difference. The trials differ substantially in design, size, and focus, but they all were “game changers.”

Younger antiretroviral therapy enrollees differ from older ones in demographic and clinical characteristics and are at higher risk for loss to follow-up. But interventions could reduce mortality and incidence.

If full restoration of immunologic and clinical health is the goal of antiretroviral therapy, the best chance we have is to start ART within 12 months of infection.

Increasing clinical evidence suggests that statins may help prevent cancer in certain HIV-1–infected patients. Details here.

Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome is seen in some HIV-infected patients soon after initiation of antiretroviral therapy. The syndrome can “unmask” dormant opportunistic infections or aggravate existing infections.

A newly published study examines whether kidney transplant in eligible patients with HIV confers improved survival over renal replacement therapy. Results, here.

Long-term highly-active antiretroviral therapy can be associated with disturbing morphologic and metabolic changes. Nevaripine is added to three HAART regimens in this study to evaluate any mitigating effects.

Does the HIV epidemic represent primarily a failure of the public health system--or is it more likely a result of failure on an individual level to take steps necessary to prevent infection?

"Don't ask, don't tell" seems to apply to gay and bisexual men when it comes to discussions about HIV with their physician. Worrisome details from a new Kaiser Family Foundation survey here.

There is emergent need to improve recognition and management of COPD in HIV-infected patients. Details here.

Thyroglossal duct cyst; HCV-HIV coinfection; slurred speech and trouble swallowing and chewing . . . see how well you do on the quiz questions this week.

For patients who remained AIDS-free and untreated 10 years after seroconversion, loss of this status was associated with lower CD4 cell counts and higher HIV RNA load.

Results of a recent study found low BMD was strongly associated with body weight, smoking, and prior advanced HIV disease.

A retrospective chart review among HIV-infected patients treated with ART found use of statin medications associated with a lower risk of cancer.

The key to reining in this trend is to link this group to health services as early as possible. The key to linkage, in turn, is testing. A new study finds room for improvement in meeting CDC testing coverage recommendations.

Despite gains, the sobering reality is that HIV transmission-- primarily via sexual means--continues at an unacceptably high rate in the United States.