Early predictors of outcome for HIV patients with neurological failure

Article Abstract:

HIV-infected patients who require treatment in intensive care units (ICUs) for neurological failure may not exhibit characteristics at ICU admission that are predictive of death within three months. Researchers examined, tested, and took CT scans of 84 HIV-infected patients with neurological failure within 48 hours of the patients' admission to an ICU. Sixty-one percent of the patients had brain abscesses that were most often attributed to toxoplasmosis. Sixty-seven percent of patients required mechanical ventilation within two days after ICU admission. Although 45% of patients were eventually discharged from the ICU, 68% had died three months after ICU admission. A Glasgow Coma Scale score of less than seven and clinical signs of brain stem involvement could independently predict patients' risk of death within three months. Because these characteristics are neurological symptoms of various disease processes, they are not reliable predictive indicators of patients' outcome.

Patient outcomes, Mortality, Prognosis, HIV patients, Nervous system diseases

---

Cystic parotid gland enlargement in HIV disease: the diffuse infiltrative lymphocytosis syndrome

Article Abstract:

A CT scan showing that enlarged parotid glands contain many fluid-filled cysts can be a sign of early HIV infection. An African-American man went to a doctor when he developed enlarged parotid glands just in front of and below his ear. A CT scan showed that the parotid glands were cystic and the radiologist who interpreted the scan suggested that the man be tested for HIV. He tested positive on ELISA and Western blot tests. He had few risk factors for HIV except that he had received a blood transfusion two years before. He appeared to have diffuse infiltrative lymphocytosis syndrome resulting from HIV infection.

Abnormalities, Parotid glands

---

The prevalence of serum antibody to human herpesvirus 8 (Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus) among HIV-seropositive and high-risk HIV-seronegative women

Article Abstract:

HIV-infected women seem to have less exposure to the virus that has been implicated as the cause of Kaposi's sarcoma. Researchers tested blood samples from 386 women for the human herpesvirus 8, which is also called Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus. Eighty-four women were HIV-negative and 302 were HIV-positive. Overall, only 3.4% of the samples tested positive for the virus. Four percent of the HIV-positive women tested positive for human herpesvirus 8 compared to 1.2% of those who were HIV-negative. HIV-infected women are less likely to get Kaposi's sarcoma than men.

Testing, Herpesviruses

Similar abstracts:

• Abstracts: Emergency department intubation of trauma patients with undiagnosed cervical spine injury. Prospective, randomized, double blind, controlled comparison of metoclopramide and pethidine in the emergency treatment of acute primary vascular and tension type headache episodes
• Abstracts: The prevalence of androgen excess among patients with minimal unwanted hair growth. Stress model for research into preterm delivery among black women
• Abstracts: Statin therapy and risks for death and hospitalization in chronic heart failure. A 30-year-old woman with chronic hypertension trying to conceive
• Abstracts: Spontaneous remission in a patient with chronic myelogenous leukemia. BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitors for chronic myelogenous leukemia
• Abstracts: Polymorphism of adhesion molecule CD31 and its role in acute graft-versus-host disease. Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in Mevalonic Aciduria

This website is not affiliated with document authors or copyright owners. This page is provided for informational purposes only. Unintentional errors are possible.