Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
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Definition/Description[edit | edit source]
AIDS is a chronic, life-threatening condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). By damaging your immune system, HIV interferes with your body's ability to fight off viruses, bacteria and fungi that cause disease. HIV makes you more susceptible to certain types of cancers and to infections your body would normally resist. The virus and the infection itself are known as HIV. "Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)" is the name given to the later and more serious stages of an HIV infection.
An estimated 40.3 million people have HIV worldwide. And though the spread of the virus has slowed in some countries, it has escalated or remained unchanged in others. The best hope for stemming the spread of HIV lies in prevention, treatment and education.
Prevalence[edit | edit source]
Prevalence is the number of people living with HIV infection at the end of a given year. According to the CDC, at the end of 2006, an estimated 1,106,400 persons in the United States were living with HIV infection, with 21% of people undiagnosed. Incidence is the number of new HIV infections that occur during a given year. In 2008, the CDC estimated that approximately 56,300 people were newly infected with HIV. Over half of these new infections occurred in gay and bisexual men. Black/African American men and women were also strongly affected and were estimated to have an incidence rate that was 7 times as high as the incidence rate among whites.
Characteristics/Clinical Presentation[edit | edit source]
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Associated Co-morbidities[edit | edit source]
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Medications[edit | edit source]
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Diagnostic Tests/Lab Tests/Lab Values[edit | edit source]
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Causes[edit | edit source]
Around the laste 1970's and 80's doctors began noticing that an increasing number of people were suffering from serveral unusual and rare illnesses. At first, little was known about what was happening to these inital victims of AIDS. Doctors were unsure as to what was causing the condition. Many of the first people diadgnosed with this strange new condition were homosexual men and because of this the condition was labeled GRID, gay related immunodefiency. However, the condition soon started showing up in men and women intravenous drug users and hemophiliacs. In 1983, the Institut Pasteur in France regonized that the virus that was causing so much panic was the result of AIDS. The virus that resulted from AIDS was then named HIV, human immunodefiency virus. Researchers in France, now understood that the virus passed from each person via the exchange of semen, blood and or vaginal secreations during sexual contact. Researchers also leraned that AIDS weakens the immune system by destroying the bodies white blood cells specifically the helper T-cells. Helper T- cells help the body fight off viruses and bacteria that enter the body. In 1985 another breakthrough took place, a blood test for the presence of HIV antibodies in the person's blood stream.
There has been many theories and much speculation as to where the AIDS virus first orginated. AIDS used to be a very rare and isolated virsus that affected a few types of monkeys and chimpanzees in Africa. AIDS is related to another virus, Simian Immunodefiency virus that affects monkeys and apes. It was thought that humans were first exposed to AIDS when they caught the monkeys for food and kept them as pets and or if they were scratched and bitten by an infected moneky/ape.
Systemic Involvement[edit | edit source]
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Medical Management (current best evidence)[edit | edit source]
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Physical Therapy Management (current best evidence)[edit | edit source]
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Alternative/Holistic Management (current best evidence)[edit | edit source]
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Differential Diagnosis[edit | edit source]
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Case Reports[edit | edit source]
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Resources
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References[edit | edit source]
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