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Understanding HIV – A guide for primary care nurses

02 October 2024
Volume 35 · Issue 10

Abstract

The treatment and management of patients with HIV and AIDS has made huge progress, with clinicians now often managing the condition alongside coexisting long terms needs and the frailty of old age.

This article provides an insight into Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). A brief overview of HIV is offered along with a discussion of the virus, a definition and the basic biology of HIV, its structure and types. The lifecycle of the virus is outlined as well as its impact on the immune system and how HIV affects the body. The importance of HIV testing in early detection and prevention is described. Introduction to ART and its significance is provided.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), a disease that once associated with high mortality, is now a condition so treatable that clinicians are managing people with HIV alongside coexisting long term needs and the frailty of old age (WHO, 2024; HIV.GOV, 2024; Brainard et al, 2021). HIV infection leads to a clinical syndrome that is marked by progressive immunodeficiency, typically following an extended asymptomatic period (Reeves et al, 2021). This cellular immunodeficiency eventually results in severe opportunistic infections and less commonly, malignancies.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus is a retrovirus (infection with either HIV-1 or HIV-2) it destroys CD4+ lymphocytes and impairs cell-mediated immunity, increasing risk of certain infections and cancers. HIV attacks the body's immune system and specifically targets CD4+ cells, also known as T helper cells, destroying them. These cells play a vital role in maintaining the immune system's ability to defend against infections and diseases. By progressively depleting CD4+ cells, HIV will undermine the immune system's capacity to function effectively leaving the body vulnerable to a wide range of infections and illnesses that a healthy immune system could typically fend off (Liverpool John Moores University 2015). Initial infection may be caused by a nonspecific febrile illness, which refers to fever and symptoms that are not unique to HIV. Risk of subsequent manifestations related to immunodeficiency is proportional to the level of CD4+ lymphocyte depletion.

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