HIV and AIDS Information

Current research and information - page 2

Opportunistic Infections

Post-exposure Prophylaxis

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Opportunistic Infections

2002 USPHS/IDSA Guidelines for the Prevention of Opportunistic Infections in Persons Infected with HIV address 17 categories of opportunistic infections. They were endorsed by numerous organisations and disseminated widely, providing a new standard of care for HIV-infected people.

They are available at:
www.cdc.gov



The Sanford Guide to Antimicrobial Therapy, 2002. Gilbert DN, Moellering RC, Sande MA, 32nd edition.
This abbreviated guide is intended for bedside clinical management decisions.can be purchased from www.sanfordguide.com


Post-exposure Prophylaxis

Occupational exposures should be considered urgent medical concerns to ensure timely post-exposure management and administration of HBIG, hepatitis B vaccine and/or HIV PEP.

The report below updates and consolidates all previous US Public Health Service recommendations for the management of health care personnel (HCP) who have occupational exposure to blood and other body fluids that might contain hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

The US Public Health Service Guidelines for the Management of Occupational Exposures to HBV, HCV and HIV and Recommendations for Postexposure Prophylaxis is available at:
www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5011a1.htm

The most effective methods for preventing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection are those that protect against exposure to HIV. Some health care providers have proposed offering antiretroviral drugs to persons with unanticipated sexual or injecting drug use HIV exposure to prevent transmission. However, because no data exist regarding the efficacy of this therapy for persons with non-occupational HIV exposure, it should be considered an unproven clinical intervention.

Management of Possible Sexual, Injecting-Drug-Use, or Other Nonoccupational Exposure to HIV, Including Considerations Related to Antiretroviral Therapy is available from:
www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00054952.htm