• Home
• Nursing Continuing Education
  • American Heart Association Classes
  • Nursing Continuing Education Classes
  • Private Classes
• Online Training
  • Nurse Licensure Requirements
  • HHA / CNA Inservice Requirements
  • Online Classes for Nurses
• Health Career Training
• About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Free Class Giveaway
  • Locations
  • Course Discounts
  • Features and Benefits
  • Registration Information
  • OSHA Compliance Training
• Instructor Forum

Subscribe

Complete List of Continuing Education Classes

EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAMS

{column1}CPR – Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers (Initial Course)
5 Contact Hours – $90

CPR – Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers (Renewal)
3 Contact Hours – $45

CPR – Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers (Online Renewal)
N/A Contact Hours – $45

ACLS Preparation
4 Contact Hours – $50

Stress Free Advanced Cardiac Life Support (2-Day Course)
12 Contact Hours – $200

Stress Free Advanced Cardiac Life Support (1-Day Course)
8 Contact Hours – $140

PALS Preparation
4 Contact Hours – $50

Pediatric Advanced Life Support (Initial Course)
16 Contact Hours – $220{/column1}

{column2}Pediatric Advanced Life Support (Renewal Course)
8 – $150

NRP – Neonatal Resuscitation Program
8 Contact Hours – $150

NRP – Neonatal Resuscitation Program (Renewal Class)
4 Contact Hours – $100

American Heart Association Instructor Core
8 Contact Hours – $120

BLS Instructor
8 Contact Hours – $135

ACLS Instructor
8 Contact Hours – $115

PALS Instructor
8 Contact Hours – $115

First Aid
4 Contact Hours – $40{/column2}

MEDS CLINICAL UPDATES

{column1}
HIV/AIDS/OSHA/TB – for Healthcare Workers
2 Contact Hours – $20

Domestic Violence
2 Contact Hours – $20

Prevention of Medical Errors
2 Contact Hours – $25{/column1}

{column2}
Physical Assessment
8 Contact Hours – $90

Med-Surg Update
40 Contact Hours – $300{/column2}

IV THERAPY SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

{column1}
Phlebotomy
8 Contact Hours – $135

Pharmacology Math
8 Contact Hours – $90

Starting and Maintaining IV’s – Nursing Certification
30 Contact Hours $225

Starting and Maintaining IV’s – Skills Update
4 Contact Hours $80{/column1}

{column2}
Oncology Nursing Society’s Cancer Chemotherapy Course
13.5 Contact Hours $350

PICC Line Insertion
8 Contact Hours – $185
{/column2}

CRITICAL CARE SERIES

Telemetry for Nurses and Technicians
40 Contact Hours – $300

12 and 15 Lead ECG
8 Contact Hours – $90

Introduction to Critical Care Nursing
64 Contact Hours – $450

Don’t see the program that you need? Call our office at (800) 852-4126 or contact us via email.  We can design a program to meet your needs or bring one of our contract only programs such as LPN Supervision and Conscious / Moderate Sedation to you.

NRP – Neonatal Resuscitation Program

Course Overview

Nursing Unlimited is delighted to announce the addition of the Neonatal Resuscitation Program to our list of offerings. Neonatal resuscitation skills are essential for all healthcare providers who may be called upon to resuscitate infants at birth or at any time during their initial hospital admission.

The new, extensively updated Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) is based on the 2005 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)/American Heart Association (AHA) “Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care: Neonatal Resuscitation Guidelines.” All program components reflect the AAP/AHA guidelines’ increased emphasis on evidence-based treatment recommendations, as well as the new International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) evidence-based consensus on science.

The 5th edition of the NRP textbook features new lessons on resuscitating pre-term babies and dealing with ethical issues, as well as case scenarios for each major resuscitation technique. You will enter into a highly interactive, scenario-based learning experience, seamlessly integrating the course material into your life as a healthcare provider dealing with newborns.

The course fee is $150 for 6.1 Contact Hours or $100 for the 3.4 Contact Hour renewal and includes the course textbook from Nursing Unlimited’s library.

NRP – Neonatal Resuscitation Classes in Ft Lauderdale, Plantation and Broward County.

Don’t see the dates you want? Call our office at (800) 852-4126 to schedule a private class around your schedule.

West Broward
Plantation General Hospital
401 N.W. 42nd Avenue
3rd Floor, Classroom 3
Plantation, FL
(Directions)

Renewal Course
Monday
9:00 am – 1:00 pm

February 1 Register now
April 12 Register now
June 7 Register now
August 2 Register now
October 4 Register now
December 6 Register now

Initial Provider Course
Tuesday
9:00 am – 5:00 pm

February 2 Register now
April Register now
June 8 Register now
August 3 Register now
October 5 Register now
December 7 Register now

Aspiration Pneumonia – 1 contact hour

Definition
Pneumonia remains the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. As the US population ages, healthcare providers may encounter an increasing number of cases of aspiration pneumonia, both community-acquired and nosocomial infections. Awareness of this disease is important, because diagnosis is usually based on clinical findings and initial therapy is primarily empirical.

Aspiration pneumonia is caused by inhaling foreign material (usually food, liquids, vomit, or secretions from the mouth) into the lungs. This may lead to an inflammatory reaction, a lung infection (pneumonia), or a collection of pus in the lungs (lung abscess). Aspiration pneumonia is also known as anaerobic pneumonia; aspiration of vomitus; necrotizing pneumonia; aspiration pneumonitis or chemical pneumonitis.

Aspiration Pneumonitis
Aspiration pneumonitis represents chemical damage to the tracheobronchial tree. Such materials as mineral oil, hydrocarbons, and gastric acid may cause different patterns of injury. The most common clinical scenario is aspiration of gastric contents. Aspiration of low pH gastric secretions is associated with immediate injury to the tracheobronchial tree and lung parenchyma best likened to a “flash burn”.  Bronchoscopy in such cases shows diffuse bronchial erythema. The severity of lung injury is directly related to the pH of the aspirated material and is greatest when the pH is less than 2.5.

Because of the relative sterility of normal gastric contents, bacteria do not play an important role in the early stages of this disease. However, this does not hold true in patients with gastroparesis or small-bowel obstruction, or in those using antacids (PPI, H₂-receptor antagonists). Regardless of the bacterial load of the inoculum, bacterial superinfection may occur after the initial chemical injury.

Aspiration Pneumonia
Aspiration pneumonia results from chronic, usually unwitnessed, inhalation of small amounts of oropharyngeal contents, leading to an infectious process. Aspiration pneumonia is defined as the development of an infiltrate in a patient at increased risk of oropharyngeal aspiration. It occurs when a patient inhales material from the oropharynx that is colonized by upper airway flora.

Causative Organisms
Initial bacteriologic studies into the causative organisms of community-acquired aspiration pneumonia indicated the anaerobic species as the predominant pathogens. However, subsequent studies revealed that Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus influenzae, and Enterobacteriaceae are the most common organisms implicated in community-acquired aspiration pneumonia. Hospital-acquired aspiration pneumonia, on the other hand, is often caused by gram-negative organisms, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, particularly in intubated patients.

Risk Factors
Aspiration pneumonia most commonly occurs in individuals with chronically impaired airway defense mechanisms. Thus, any condition that reduces a patient’s gag reflex and/or ability to maintain an airway increases the risk of aspiration pneumonia or pneumonitis.

Risk factors for this disease include:

• Decreased level of consciousness (acute and chronic alcohol abuse; drug overdose; stroke; seizure; head trauma; anesthesia, including conscious sedation for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy)
• Isolated alteration of the swallowing reflex associated with pharyngeal disease
• Dysphagia (esophageal cancer, achalasia, tracheobronchial fistula, neurologic disorders)
• Gastroesophageal reflux
• Neurologic disease (stroke, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease)
• Mechanical and device-related impairment of upper aerodigestive tract (nasogastric and percutaneous feeding tubes, endotracheal tubes, tracheostomy)
• Vomiting
• Bronchial obstruction due to neoplasm or foreign body
• Bronchiectasis
• Pulmonary infarction

Other risk factors include poor dentition and poor oral care, both of which increase the bacterial burden of oropharyngeal secretions. Some studies indicate that aspiration pneumonia is more common in males than in females, and that it is also more prevalent in extremely young or old patients.

North Miami Dade Location – Headquarters

North Dade
Nursing Unlimited Headquarters
18405 NW 2nd AVE
Miami Gardens, FL 33169

• FROM THE NORTH OR SOUTH: Take I-95 or Turnpike to the Golden Glades Interchange. Exit 441 North. Building will be on the right, after passing Miami Gardens Drive.
• FROM THE WEST: Take SR 826 East exit 441 North. The Building will be on the right after passing Miami Gardens Drive.
• FROM THE EAST: Exit Miami Gardens Drive west to NW 2nd ave make a right Building will be in the right.

Dade County Locations

Nursing Unlimited Headquarters (directions)
Kendall Regional Medical Center (directions) (map)
Gramercy Park Nursing Center (directions) (map)

Broward County Locations

Keiser University (directions) (map)
Plantation General Hospital (directions) (map)

Palm Beach County Locations

Hospice by the Sea (directions) (map)
West Boca Medical Center (directions) (map)
Palm Beach Staffing (directions (map)

HIV/OSHA/TB/BBP HOMESTUDY – Part 2/2

SECTION TWO: HIV/AIDS

Modes of Transmission of HIV

Research has revealed a great deal of valuable medical, scientific, and public health information about the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The ways in which HIV can be transmitted have been clearly identified. Unfortunately, false information or statements that are not supported by scientific findings continue to be shared widely through the Internet and the popular press. Therefore, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has prepared a fact sheet to correct a few misperceptions about HIV.

How HIV Is Transmitted

HIV is spread by sexual contact with an infected person, by sharing needles and/or syringes (primarily for drug injection) with someone who is infected, or, less commonly (and now very rarely in countries where blood is screened for HIV antibodies), through transfusions of infected blood or blood clotting factors. Babies born to HIV-infected women may become infected before or during birth or through breastfeeding after birth.

How Does Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission Occur?

Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV, also called perinatal or vertical transmission, occurs when HIV is spread from an HIV+ woman to her baby during pregnancy, labor and delivery or breastfeeding. For an HIV+ woman not being treated for HIV, the chance of passing the virus to her child is about 25% during pregnancy, labor and delivery. Breastfeeding increases the risk of transmission by an additional 12%.

In 2005, around 700,000 children under 15 became infected with HIV, mainly through mother to child transmission. About 90% of these MTCT infections occurred in Africa, where AIDS is beginning to reverse decades of steady progress in child survival. In high-income countries, MTCT has been virtually eliminated, thanks to effective voluntary testing and counseling, access to antiretroviral therapy, safe delivery practices, and the widespread availability and safe use of breast-milk substitutes. If these interventions were used worldwide, they could save the lives of thousands of children each year.

Can MTCT be reduced?

Yes. Advances in treatment and new classes of drugs have provided the opportunity to greatly reduce rates of MTCT worldwide. However, these advances have not made their way to developing countries to the extent that is needed, and we have still not addressed the root cause of MTCT, mainly heterosexual HIV transmission. The best way to prevent MTCT is to prevent HIV transmission in the mother and father.

In order to reduce MTCT, all pregnant women should have access to free or low-cost prenatal care and voluntary HIV testing and counseling. If a pregnant woman is HIV+, she should have access to antiretroviral treatment, both to treat HIV and improve her own health, and to decrease the chances of HIV infection in her infant. Treatment options for preventing MTCT include giving antiretroviral drugs to the mother after the first trimester of pregnancy and during labor, and to her infant for the first six weeks of life. In the US, these drug regimens have dramatically reduced the chance of transmission, from about 25% to 4-10% for women who did not breastfeed.

MTCT can be further reduced to less than 2% if a woman is on antiretroviral drugs, has a low viral load, follows the recommended MTCT treatment regimen and does not breastfeed. However, little is known about the long-term impact of these drugs on the child. Taking greater care during labor and delivery can also help reduce MTCT; for example, by not artificially rupturing membranes or doing routine episiotomies, and by providing cesarean delivery when indicated.

HIV Transmission in the Healthcare Setting

In the health care setting, workers have been infected with HIV after being stuck with needles containing HIV-infected blood or, less frequently, after infected blood gets into a worker’s open cut or a mucous membrane (for example, the eyes or inside of the nose). There has been only one instance of patients being infected by a health care worker in the United States; this involved HIV transmission from one infected dentist to six patients. Investigations completed the review of more than 22,000 patients of 63 HIV-infected physicians, surgeons, and dentists, and no other cases of this type of transmission have been identified in the United States.

Some people fear that HIV might be transmitted in other ways; however, no scientific evidence to support any of these fears has been found. If HIV were being transmitted through other routes (such as through air, water, or insects), the pattern of reported AIDS cases would be much different from what has been observed. For example, if mosquitoes could transmit HIV infection, many more young children and preadolescents would have been diagnosed with AIDS.

All reported cases suggesting new or potentially unknown routes of transmission are thoroughly investigated by state and local health departments with the assistance, guidance, and laboratory support from CDC. No additional routes of transmission have been recorded, despite a national sentinel system designed to detect just such an occurrence. The following paragraphs specifically address some of the common misperceptions about HIV transmission.

HIV in the Environment

Scientists and medical authorities agree that HIV does not survive well in the environment, making the possibility of environmental transmission remote. HIV is found in varying concentrations in blood, semen, vaginal fluid, breast milk, saliva, and tears. To obtain data on the survival of HIV, laboratory studies have required the use of artificially high concentrations of laboratory-grown virus. Although these unnatural concentrations of HIV can be kept alive for days or even weeks under precisely controlled and limited laboratory conditions, CDC studies have shown that drying of even these high concentrations of HIV reduces the amount of infectious virus by 90 to 99 percent within several hours. Since the HIV concentrations used in laboratory studies are much higher than those actually found in blood or other specimens, drying of HIV-infected human blood or other body fluids reduces the theoretical risk of environmental transmission to that which has been observed–essentially zero.

Results from laboratory studies should not be used to assess specific personal risk of infection because (1) the amount of virus studied is not found in human specimens or elsewhere in nature, and (2) no one has been identified as infected with HIV due to contact with an environmental surface. Additionally, HIV is unable to reproduce outside its living host (unlike many bacteria or fungi, which may do so under suitable conditions), except under laboratory conditions; therefore, it does not spread or maintain infectiousness outside its host.

Households

Although HIV has been transmitted between family members in a household setting, this type of transmission is very rare. These transmissions are believed to have resulted from contact between skin or mucous membranes and infected blood. To prevent even such rare occurrences, precautions, as described in previously published guidelines, should be taken in all settings, including the home, to prevent exposures to the blood of persons who are HIV-infected, at risk for HIV infection, or whose infection and risk status are unknown. For example,

Businesses and Other Settings

There is no known risk of HIV transmission to co-workers, clients, or consumers from contact in industries such as food-service establishments (see information on survival of HIV in the environment). Food-service workers known to be infected with HIV need not be restricted from work unless they have other infections or illnesses (such as diarrhea or hepatitis A) for which any food-service worker, regardless of HIV infection status, should be restricted. The CDC recommends that all food-service workers follow recommended standards and practices of good personal hygiene and food sanitation.

In 1985, the CDC issued routine precautions that all personal-service workers (such as hairdressers, barbers, cosmetologists, and massage therapists) should follow, even though there is no evidence of transmission from a personal-service worker to a client or vice versa. Instruments that are intended to penetrate the skin (such as tattooing and acupuncture needles, ear piercing devices) should be used once and disposed of or thoroughly cleaned and sterilized. Instruments not intended to penetrate the skin but which may become contaminated with blood (for example, razors) should be used for only one client and disposed of or thoroughly cleaned and disinfected after each use. Personal-service workers can use the same cleaning procedures that are recommended for health care institutions.

The CDC knows of no instances of HIV transmission through tattooing or body piercing, although the hepatitis B virus has been transmitted during some of these practices. One case of HIV transmission from acupuncture has been documented. Body piercing (other than ear piercing) is relatively new in the United States, and the medical complications for body piercing appear to be greater than for tattoos. Healing of piercings generally takes weeks, and sometimes even months, and the pierced tissue could conceivably be abraded (torn or cut) or inflamed even after healing. Therefore, a theoretical HIV transmission risk does exist if the unhealed or abraded tissues come into contact with an infected person’s blood or other infectious body fluid. Additionally, HIV could be transmitted if instruments contaminated with blood are not sterilized or disinfected between clients.

Kissing
Casual contact through closed-mouth or “social” kissing is not a risk for transmission of HIV. Because of the potential for contact with blood during “French” or open-mouth kissing, the CDC recommends against engaging in this activity with a person known to be infected. However, the risk of acquiring HIV during open-mouth kissing is believed to be very low. CDC has investigated only one case of HIV infection that may be attributed to contact with blood during open-mouth kissing.

Biting
In 1997, the CDC published findings from a state health department investigation of an incident that suggested blood-to-blood transmission of HIV by a human bite. There have been other reports in the medical literature in which HIV appeared to have been transmitted by a bite. Severe trauma with extensive tissue tearing and damage and presence of blood were reported in each of these instances. Biting is not a common way of transmitting HIV. In fact, there are numerous reports of bites that did not result in HIV infection.

Saliva, Tears, and Sweat
HIV has been found in saliva and tears in very low quantities from some AIDS patients. It is important to understand that finding a small amount of HIV in a body fluid does not necessarily mean that HIV can be transmitted by that body fluid. HIV has not been recovered from the sweat of HIV-infected persons. Contact with saliva, tears, or sweat has never been shown to result in transmission of HIV.

Insects
From the onset of the HIV epidemic, there has been concern about transmission of the virus by biting and bloodsucking insects. However, studies conducted by researchers at CDC and elsewhere have shown no evidence of HIV transmission through insects–even in areas where there are many cases of AIDS and large populations of insects such as mosquitoes. Lack of such outbreaks, despite intense efforts to detect them, supports the conclusion that HIV is not transmitted by insects.

The results of experiments and observations of insect biting behavior indicate that when an insect bites a person, it does not inject its own or a previously bitten person’s or animal’s blood into the next person bitten. Rather, it injects saliva, which acts as a lubricant or anticoagulant so the insect can feed efficiently. Such diseases as yellow fever and malaria are transmitted through the saliva of specific species of mosquitoes. However, HIV lives for only a short time inside an insect and, unlike organisms that are transmitted via insect bites, HIV does not reproduce (and does not survive) in insects. Thus, even if the virus enters a mosquito or another sucking or biting insect, the insect does not become infected and cannot transmit HIV to the next human it feeds on or bites. HIV is not found in insect feces.

There is also no reason to fear that a biting or bloodsucking insect, such as a mosquito, could transmit HIV from one person to another through HIV-infected blood left on its mouthparts. Two factors serve to explain why this is so–first, infected people do not have constant, high levels of HIV in their bloodstreams, and, second, insect mouth parts do not retain large amounts of blood on their surfaces. Further, scientists who study insects have determined that biting insects normally do not travel from one person to the next immediately after ingesting blood. Rather, they fly to a resting place to digest this blood meal.

Infection Control
All healthcare workers and those at risk for occupational exposure should practice standard Universal Precautions. Hand washing, an integral part of infection control, is recommended before and after any possible exposure to blood or other body fluids. The CDC recommends 10 – 15 seconds of vigorous scrubbing with a bactericidal agent. After proper hand washing, personal protective equipment should be worn to prevent contact with any body fluids. Finally, any personal protective equipment or infectious waste should be disposed of in proper biohazardous warning label bags

Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in HIV-Infected Adults and Adolescents

The availability of an increasing number of antiretroviral agents and the rapid evolution of new information has introduced substantial complexity into treatment regimens for persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). In 1996, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation convened the Panel on Clinical Practices for the Treatment of HIV to develop guidelines for clinical management of HIV-infected adults and adolescents (CDC Report of the NIH Panel To Define Principles of Therapy of HIV Infection and Guidelines for the use of antiretroviral agents in HIV-infected adults and adolescents. MMWR 1998;47[RR-5]:1-41). The following issues were discussed:

•  Using testing for Plasma HIV ribonucleic acid levels (i.e., viral load) and CD4 + T cell count;

•  Using testing for antiretroviral drug resistance;

•  Considerations for when to initiate therapy;

•  Adherence to antiretroviral therapy;

•  Considerations for therapy in antiretroviral naïve patients;

•  Therapy-related adverse events;

•  Interruption of therapy;

•  Considerations for changing therapy and available therapeutic options;

•  Treatment for acute HIV infection;

•  Considerations for antiretroviral therapy among adolescents;

•  Considerations for antiretroviral therapy among pregnant women; and

•  Concerns related to transmission of HIV to others.

Antiretroviral regimens are complex, have serious side effects, pose difficulty with adherence, and carry serious potential consequences, such as the development of viral resistance because of non-adherence to the drug regimen of antiretroviral agents. Patient education and involvement in therapeutic decisions is critical. Treatment should usually be offered to all patients with symptoms ascribed to HIV infection. Recommendations for offering antiretroviral therapy among asymptomatic patients require analysis of real and potential risks and benefits. Treatment should be offered to persons who have < 350 CD4 + T cells/mm 3 or Plasma HIV ribonucleic acid (RNA) levels of > 55,000 copies/mL (by b-deoxyribonucleic acid [bDNA] or reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction [RT-PCR] assays). The recommendation to treat asymptomatic patients should be based on the willingness and readiness of the person to begin therapy; the degree of existing immunodeficiency as determined by the CD4 + T cell count; the risk for disease progression as determined by the CD4 + T cell count and level of Plasma HIV RNA; the potential benefits and risks of initiating therapy in an asymptomatic person; and the likelihood, after counseling and education, of adherence to the prescribed treatment regimen.

Treatment goals should be maximal and durable suppression of viral load, restoration and preservation of immunologic function, improvement of quality of life, and reduction of HIV-related morbidity and mortality. Results of therapy are evaluated through plasma HIV RNA levels, which are expected to indicate a 1.0 log10 decrease at 2-8 weeks and no detectable virus (< 50 copies/mL) at 4-6 months after treatment initiation. Failure of therapy at 4-6 months might be ascribed to non-adherence, inadequate potency of drugs or sub-optimal levels of antiretroviral agents, viral resistance, and other factors that are poorly understood. Patients whose therapy fails in spite of a high level of adherence to the regimen should have their regimen changed; this change should be guided by a thorough drug treatment history and the results of drug-resistance testing. Because of limitations in the available alternative antiretroviral regimens that have documented efficacy, optimal changes in therapy might be difficult to achieve for patients in whom the preferred regimen has failed. These decisions are further confounded by problems with adherence, toxicity, and resistance. For certain patients, participating in a clinical trial with or without access to new drugs or using a regimen that might not achieve complete suppression of viral replication might be preferable.

There are 3 primary classifications of medications used as antiretrovirals to suppress the replication of HIV. The following lists the name of each approved drug including the potential adverse effects of the medication.

Nucleoside Analogs (Antiretroviral medications):

These drugs incorporate themselves into the enzyme that helps the virus to copy itself, thereby stopping the building process. HIV rapidly develops resistance to more drugs when used individually, so current standards require that they be used in combination with one another.

•  Zidovudine (AZT): FDA approval in 1987. Side effects include headaches, fever, chills, muscle soreness, fatigue, anemia, nausea, and fingernail discoloration.

•  Didanosine (ddI): FDA approval in 1991. Side effects include tingling, burning, numbness/pain in hands or feet, visual impairment, headaches, insomnia, diarrhea, and pancreatitis.

•  Zalcitabine (ddC): FDA approval in 1992. Side effects include chest pain, nausea, fever, rash, mouth sores, and headaches.

•  Stavudine (d4T): FDA approval 1994. Side effects include headaches, nausea, and peripheral neuropathy. This drug is tolerated the best.

•  Lamivudine (3TC): FDA approval in 1995. Side effects include headache, nausea, malaise, fatigue, runny nose, diarrhea, and anemia.

•  Abacavir: FDA approval in 1998. Side effects include headache, nausea, vomiting, malaise, and diarrhea. Clinical note: There have also been severe allergic reactions caused by abacavir. If an allergic reaction is noted, the drug should never be given again, as this may lead to anaphylactic shock and possible death.

•  Combivir: Combination of 3TC and AZT.

Protease Inhibitors:

First introduced in 1995, these drugs work at the last stage of the virus replication cycle by preventing HIV from being successfully assembled and released from the infected T cell.

•  Invirase (Saquinavir Mesylate): Used in combination with Norvir. Side effects include diarrhea, mouth sores, and abdominal discomfort.

•  Norvir (Ritonavir): Side effects include diarrhea, nausea, fatigue, and peripheral and circumoral numbness.

•  Crixivan (Indinavir): Used in combination with Combivir, 80% of patients are maintaining undetectable viral loads for two years or more. Side effects include kidney stones, chapped lips, headaches, and nausea.

•  Viracept (Nelfinavir): Relatively new, early studies show success similar to Crixivan. The main side effect is diarrhea and it is well tolerated by patients.

•  Agenerase (Amprenavir): Approved by the FDA in 1999, this drug can cause life-threatening skin reactions, including blisters. Other side effects include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NNRTI):

First approved by the FDA in 1996, these drugs prevent the conversion of RNA into DNA inside the infected T cell, thus helping to prevent the virus from multiplying.

•  Viramune (Nevirapine or NVP): Side effects include headaches, nausea, and rash.

•  Rescriptor (Delavirdine): Side effects include headaches, nausea, diarrhea, rash, and fatigue.

•  Sustiva (Efavirenz): Side effects are mild and include rash and mood changes.

Entry-inhibitors (Fuzeon): A new class of drug approved only for compassionate use. Fuzeon binds to a protein on HIV’s surface called gp41. Once it does this, HIV cannot successfully bind with the surface of T-cells, thus preventing the virus from infecting healthy cells. Fuzeon will most likely need to be used in combination with other anti-HIV drugs. Because of its fragile structure (it is a peptide), Fuzeon cannot be taken by mouth. It is currently given in an injectable form and requires two shots a day: one in the morning and one 12 hours later at night. Each shot contains 90mg of Fuzeon. Small hypodermic needles, similar to those used by diabetics to inject insulin, are used.

Fuzeon holds promise for HIV-positive patients who have taken (and failed) numerous anti-HIV drugs in the past. Because Fuzeon targets HIV differently than currently available drugs, chances are that most people living with the virus, regardless of the medications they have taken in the past, will likely benefit from using Fuzeon. Two large clinical trials have determined that Fuzeon, when combined with other drugs, is effective for patients who have failed other anti-HIV drugs in the past. However, Fuzeon worked best when it was combined with at least two other drugs that the virus was sensitive to (patients who used Fuzeon in combination with drugs that their virus was highly resistant to did not experience decreases in their viral load for very long). In this way, it is best to use drug-resistance testing to determine which drugs your virus is sensitive to and to use the results of testing to figure out which are the best anti-HIV drugs to combine with Fuzeon.

Skin irritation (e.g., itchiness and swelling) at the site where Fuzeon is injected has been the most common side effect reported in studies. Less than 5% of patients taking Fuzeon have stopped injections of this drug because of this skin irritation. Other side effects may also occur, including fatigue, insomnia, and peripheral neuropathy.

Prevention of HIV

Sexual Behaviors:

If a person does not engage in any sexual activities, then that person has no risk of sexual transmission of HIV. However, for those people who are sexually active, the following options are available. “Safer sex” includes mutual monogamy, latex condoms, female condoms (also made of latex) and polyurethane condoms, which, because of their composition, are much stronger and thinner, thus aiding in compliance. Latex square (dental dam) is recommended for oral-genital contact male to female or female to female.

Illicit Drug Use:

Non-injecting drug use, while not a direct risk factor for HIV transmission, may lead to risky behaviors that might not be committed if the person was not using recreational drugs. Alcohol can have a similar effect. Judgment is impaired and inhibitions are reduced, potentially leading to unprotected sex or increases in the number of sexual partners.

The use of intravenous drugs and the behavior of sharing needles is another mode of transmission of HIV. The best method to prevent HIV transmission among I.V. drug users is to get them off the drugs and into a substance abuse program. The second best method is to get them to not share needles. Studies have show that needle-exchange programs reduce the incidence of HIV, while not encouraging the use of illegal drugs. The DOH supports the use of these programs, but they are currently illegal in the state of Florida. The third best method to prevent HIV transmission among I.V. drug users is to get them to clean their needles and syringes with bleach. It is important to rinse them with water once the bleach is used, because injecting bleach into the veins can be more deadly than HIV.

The Florida AIDS Law:

Statute 381 addresses most of Florida’s AIDS law with most of the accompanying rules in Chapter 64D-2 of the Florida Administrative Code.

Highlights of the Law Include:

Confidentiality : As with any personal medical record information, results of HIV testing and treatment are confidential (384.29, F.S.). Healthcare providers have a “need to know” as defined in Rule 64D-2.003(2)(d)3.

Discrimination : It is against the law to discriminate against persons on the basis of HIV or AIDS status (381.004, F.S.)

Informed Consent : Written consent must be obtained before an HIV test can be performed. Exceptions to this include convicted prostitutes and their solicitors, after sexual battery where a blood sample has been taken from the defendant, persons desiring to immigrate to the U.S., persons desiring to enlist in the military, and medical personnel who receive a significant exposure to blood or OPIM on the job.

Partner Notification : Florida Statute 456.061 provides that a medical practitioner, acting reasonably and in good faith, shall not be civilly or criminally liable for advising the sex or needle-sharing partner of an HIV-infected patient of a positive test, when done in accordance with the following protocol:

•  Without being asked, the patient discloses the identity of such partners.

•  The practitioner recommends the patient avoid any sexual or needle-sharing activities.

•  The patient refuses to inform the sex or needle-sharing partner of a positive test result and the practitioner informs the patient of his/her intent to inform the partners. Ideally, such notifications shall be done face-to-face and the practitioner may choose not to disclose the name of the infected patient.

•  The practitioner shall not disclose the identity of the partner to anyone else.

Insurance Companies : May not discriminate due to sexual orientation in underwriting policies. They cannot cancel or refuse to renew a policy due to HIV/AIDS.

Noncompliant Carriers : It is against the law for HIV-infected individuals to have sex or share drug needles with others without first informing them of their HIV status. (384.24, F.S.) This law also includes the following sexually transmitted diseases:

•  Chancroid

•  Gonorrhea

•  Granuloma inguinale

•  Lymphogranuloma venereum

•  Genital herpes simplex

•  Chlamydia

•  Nongonococcal urethritis

•  Pelvic inflammatory disease

•  Acute salpingitis

•  Syphilis

Minors’ Consent : Parental consent for the examination and treatment of HIV infected minors is not required (384.30, F.S.).

Pregnant Women : Testing for HIV infection shall be offered to each pregnant woman. If she objects to HIV testing, an attempt must be made to obtain a written statement of objection, signed by the patient and placed in the medical record (384.31, F.S.).

State and Federally Funded Programs for People with HIV/AIDS

Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act of 1990:

•  Project AIDS Care: This provides eligible individuals with outpatient services, such as home delivery of meals and adaptive equipment and home health care.

•  AIDS Drug Assistance Program: Assistance for AIDS-related pharmaceuticals is provided through Florida’s county health departments.

•  Insurance Continuation Program: Eligible individuals can have their private insurance premiums paid for by this program.

•  Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS: Funded by HUD, this program provides temporary assistance to eligible individuals in making mortgage, rent, or utility payments.

International Statistics

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome has killed more than 25 million people since it was first recognized in 1981, making it one of the most destructive epidemics in recorded history. According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, as of November 2007, n ew data show global HIV prevalence-the percentage of people living with HIV-has leveled off, and the number of new infections has fallen, in part as a result of the impact of HIV programs. However, in 2007, approximately 33.2 million people were estimated to be living with HIV, 2.5 million became newly infected and 2.1 million died of AIDS.

There were an estimated 1.7 million new HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa in 2007-a significant reduction since 2001. However, the region remains most severely affected. An estimated 22.5 million people living with HIV, or 68% of the global total, are in sub-Saharan Africa. Eight countries in this region now account for almost one-third of all new HIV infections and AIDS deaths globally.

Since 2001, when the United Nations Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS was signed, the number of people living with HIV in Eastern Europe and Central Asia has increased by more than 150%, from 630,000 to 1.6 million in 2007. In Asia, the estimated number of people living with HIV in Viet Nam has more than doubled between 2000 and 2005, and Indonesia has the fastest growing epidemic.

While the global prevalence of HIV infection has leveled off, the total number of people living with HIV is increasing, because of ongoing acquisition of HIV infection, combined with longer survival times, in a continuously growing general population. Global HIV incidence-the number of new HIV infections per year-is now estimated to have peaked in the late 1990s at over 3 million new infections per year, and is estimated in 2007 to be 2.5 million new infections, an average of more than 6,800 new infections each day. This reflects natural trends in the epidemic, as well as the result of HIV prevention efforts. The number of people dying from AIDS-related illnesses has declined in the last two years, due in part to the life prolonging effects of antiretroviral therapy. AIDS is still among the leading causes of death globally and remains the primary cause of death in Africa

HIV/AIDS in the United States

The majority of people living with HIV in the USA are men who have sex with men. Injecting drug use remains a prominent channel of infection for both men and women. However, for women living with HIV, unsafe heterosexual intercourse is the main mode of transmission. For many women with HIV, the main risk factor for acquiring the virus remains the often-undisclosed risk behavior of male partners, such as injecting drug use and sex with other men.

One of the striking facets of the epidemic in the United States is the concentration of HIV infections among African Americans. Despite constituting only 12.5% of the country’s population, African Americans accounted for 50% of all HIV/AIDS cases diagnosed in 2004.

CDC HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report – 2007

Surveillance data on HIV infections provide a more complete picture of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the need for prevention and care services than does the picture provided by AIDS data alone. Therefore, to better monitor the patterns of HIV infection diagnoses, many states and U.S.-dependent areas have implemented HIV surveillance in addition to AIDS surveillance.

Even though many states and dependent areas conduct HIV surveillance, not all of them collect HIV data the same way. Most states and dependent areas use confidential name-based reporting, but some use other methods. The different methods of collecting data pose a challenge when compiling national data. To address the problem, CDC advised in 1999 that all US states and dependent areas conduct confidential name-based HIV case surveillance as part of their AIDS case surveillance activities. This advice was strengthened to a recommendation in 2005. Compared with HIV reporting systems based on other types of identifiers (such as those based on a code or name-to-code), confidential name-based HIV reporting has proven to be more cost-effective, and it routinely achieves high levels of accuracy and reliability. Confidential name-based HIV infection reporting is consistent with reporting for other infectious diseases, including AIDS. As of February 2007, confidential name-based HIV infection reporting was being conducted by 47 states, the District of Columbia and 5 dependent areas. It is anticipated that all states and US dependent areas will soon use confidential name-based reporting for HIV surveillance.

Highlights of Analyses

Persons Living with AIDS

In 2005, the estimated number of persons living with AIDS in the United States and dependent areas was 433,760. In the 50 states and District of Columbia, this included 418,084 adults and adolescents, and 3,787 children under age 13.

Deaths of Persons with AIDS

In 2005, the estimated number of deaths of persons with AIDS in the United States and dependent areas was 17,011. In the 50 states and District of Columbia, this included 16,316 adults and adolescents, and 7 children under age 13.

The cumulative estimated number of deaths of persons with AIDS in the United States and dependent areas, through 2005, was 550,394 . In the 50 states and District of Columbia, this included 525,442 adults and adolescents, and 4,865 children under age 13.

HIV/AIDS Cases

In 2005, the estimated number of cases of HIV/AIDS in the 33 states and 4 dependent areas with confidential name-based HIV infection reporting was 37,367 . Of these, 37,331 were in the 33 states and 36 were in the 4 dependent areas. In the 33 states, adult and adolescent HIV/AIDS cases totaled 37,163 with 27,455 cases in males and 9,708 cases in females, and 168 cases estimated in children under age 13.

HIV/AIDS Cases by Age

Of the estimated number of HIV/AIDS cases in the 33 states with confidential name-based HIV infection reporting, the person’s age at time of diagnosis were distributed as follows.

HIV/AIDS Cases by Race/Ethnicity

CDC tracks HIV/AIDS information on five racial and ethnic groups: white, black (African American), Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native. Estimated numbers of diagnoses of HIV/AIDS in the 33 states with confidential name-based HIV infection reporting, by race or ethnicity:

HIV/AIDS Cases by Transmission Category

Six common transmission categories are male-to-male sexual contact, injection drug use, male-to-male sexual contact and injection drug use, heterosexual (male-female) contact, mother-to-child (perinatal) transmission, and other (includes blood transfusions and unknown cause).

Following is the distribution of the estimated number of diagnoses of HIV/AIDS among adults and adolescents in the 33 states with confidential name-based HIV infection reporting, by transmission category. A breakdown by sex is provided where appropriate.

*Heterosexual contact with a person known to have, or to be at high risk for, HIV infection.
** Includes hemophilia, blood transfusion, perinatal, and risk not reported or not identified.

The distribution of the estimated number of diagnoses of HIV/AIDS, among children* in the 33 states with confidential name-based HIV infection reporting, by transmission categories follows.

*The term “children” refers to persons under age 13 at the time of diagnosis.
* *Includes hemophilia, blood transfusion, and risk not reported or not identified.

Persons Living with HIV/AIDS

In 2005, the estimated number of persons living with HIV/AIDS in the 33 states and dependent areas with confidential name-based HIV/AIDS infection reporting was 475,871 . In the 33 states only, this included 468,488 adults and adolescents, and 6,726 children under age 13.

Top 10 AIDS Cases by State/Dependent Area

The 10 states or dependent areas reporting the highest number of AIDS cases were:

*Includes persons with a diagnosis of AIDS from the beginning of the epidemic through 2005.

State-by-State HIV/AIDS Data

Statehealthfacts.org provides state-by-state information about new and cumulative AIDS cases, AIDS case rates, persons living with AIDS, AIDS deaths, HIV infections, HIV testing statistics and policies, additional AIDS-related state policies, Ryan White funding and funding for HIV prevention, and AIDS Drug Assistance Programs, including budget, client, and expenditure data from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Next Page »

Navigation Menu

New S.T.A.B.L.E Class!

New Woud Care Class

· Online CPR Classes · Nursing Continuing Education · Online Nursing CEU · CNA Classes · ACLS Certification · AHA CPR

Copyright © 2008 ·