Diagnosis and Treatment of AIDS

This set of flashcards covers the laboratory diagnosis, medical management, and prevention methods for AIDS based on the provided lecture transcript.

ELISA

A primary laboratory test used for the detection of Antibodies in the circulation for AIDS diagnosis, which carries a slight chance for false positive results.

Western blot analysis

A more specific test for HIV antibodies employed for confirmation of ELISA positive patients by analyzing antibodies against six different components of the virus.

Normal T-Helper count

The standard level of T-Helper cells in the blood, which is $>400/cmm$.

AIDS T-Helper count

The clinical level of T-Helper cells in AIDS patients, which is always $<300/cmm$.

PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)

A diagnostic tool used to detect the presence of HIV genes in the peripheral blood lymphocytes and estimate the number of HIV particles in the blood.

NRTIs (Nucleoside analogues)

A category of RT inhibitors used in Antiretroviral Therapy, including drugs such as AZT (Zidovudine), Abacavir, Stavudine, Lamivudine, and Zalcitabine.

NNRTIs (Non nucleoside analogues)

A category of RT inhibitors used in Antiretroviral Therapy, including drugs such as Loviridine, Nevirapine, and Delavirdine.

Protease inhibitors

A class of management drugs for AIDS that includes Indinavir, Ritonavir, and Nelfinavir.

HAART

An acronym for Highly Active Anti Retroviral Therapy, which involves a combination of drugs for managing AIDS.

Autoclaving

A sterilization method effective for instruments and gloves performed at $120^\circ\text{C}$ for 20 minutes.

2% glutaraldehyde

A solution used to decontaminate heat sensitive instruments by immersion.

1% sodium hypochlorite solution

A solution containing $10,000\,\text{ppm}$ chlorine used for washing and disinfecting blood spills.

Boiling

A method to inactivate the HIV virus by heating for 10 minutes.