TREATMENT OF HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS

Course overview

HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (HIV) INFECTS AND DESTROYS T LYMPHOCYTES, WHICH ARE ESSENTIAL IN REGULATING THE HUMAN IMMUNE SYSTEM RESPONSE. HIV INJECTS ITS RIBONUCLEIC ACID (RNA) INTO A LYMPHOCYTE, THEN MAKES DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID (DNA) WHICH IS INCORPORATED INTO THE CELL'S OWN DNA. NUMEROUS COPIES OF HIV ARE MADE FROM THIS DNA, EVENTUALLY THE CELL BURSTS, AND MORE VIRUS IS RELEASED. IN THIS COURSE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT THE ETIOLOGY AND PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF HIV AS WELL AS MAJOR INTERVENTIONS AND OPPORTUNISTIC INFECTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH HIV. THE TREATMENT FOR HIV INFECTION FOCUSES ON TWO MAIN GOALS. FIRST, DRUGS ARE ADMINISTERED TO HALT VIRAL SPREAD IN THE BODY AND ALLOW IMMUNE SYSTEM RECOVERY. THE SECOND GOAL INVOLVES PREVENTING AND COMBATING OPPORTUNISTIC INFECTIONS.