Importance of Assessment and Diagnosis
Essential to the treatment of the condition
Slow the progression of HIV
Prevent or reduce complications
Slow the progression of HIV
Prevent or reduce complications
Assessment
1. Subjective Assessment: Health History
2. Objective Assessment: Physical Assessment
3. Diagnostic and Laboratory Tests
2. Objective Assessment: Physical Assessment
3. Diagnostic and Laboratory Tests
1. Health History
- Establish therapeutic relationship with client
- Ask questions tailored to the clinical manifestations, events, and lifestyle
- Make detailed notes of all recent hospital admissions as they may be related to HIV
- Take note of vaccination history, current medication and known allergies
- All women should be asked about current and prior pregnancies
- Further attention should be given to sexual history and intravenous drug use
2. Physical Assessment
Assessment:
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Assessement:
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Other assessments include:
- Weight measurement
- Skin inspection for HIV-associated rashes, scars and fungal infections
- Examination of the mouth for oral thrush and periodontal disease
- Chest and cardiovascular examination for signs of pulmonic infection
- Abdominal examination to evaluate for hepatomegaly or splenomegaly
- Examination of the genitalia for signs of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
- Psychiatric assessment should include noting the patient's affect and orientation
3. Diagnostics and Laboratory Tests
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
The ELISA test has to elicit a positive response and must be confirmed by a subsequent positive result from a supplemental HIV test. Procedure:
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Western Blot
The western blot is often completed as the last step to confirm the diagnosis of HIV. It is similar to the ELISA in that it also detects antibodies for HIV however it works slightly differently. Procedure:
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Positive Test Results
Other diagnostic tests include but are not limited to CD4 T-cell count, complete blood count (CBC) and viral load (viral RNA). Positive results for HIV would be:
CD4 T-cell count
<200 cells/μl of plasma |
CBC
Hematocrit <35% Hemoglobin <14 g/dl |
Viral load
>75 copies/ml |
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