An ongoing dialogue on HIV/AIDS, infectious diseases,
June 29th, 2008
And Now… The “Answer”
Last month, I wrote a post inviting responses to our Antiretroviral Rounds case in AIDS Clinical Care, and inviting you to respond. It was a case of someone with (mostly) undetectable HIV RNA levels, but lots of resistance detected when he had to stop meds due to pancreatitis. I also promised to tell you how the […]
June 24th, 2008
HIV Occupational Post-exposure Prophylaxis: Do the Right Thing
From one of our local HIV providers: There were two occasions recently when our local infectious disease doctor was consulted by the emergency room to decide what type of post exposure prophylaxis regimen to recommend for individuals who had sustained an occupational exposure (needlesticks) to two of our HIV positive patients. It had been known […]
June 15th, 2008
Curbside Consults: What are They Worth?
Below is a friendly email exchange I had last week with with one of our hospital’s primary care providers: Dear Paul, do you know anything about whether pts should be given prophylactic antibiotics prior to dental procedures etc. if they have an indwelling IV catheter? I have a pt. who has a BardPort porta cath in […]
June 9th, 2008
When (and Where) in the World is the 2009 Retrovirus Conference?
The Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections — “CROI” — is the premiere scientific and clinical conference in the HIV world. Every February, thousands of serious scientists and clinicians huddle in some frozen northern city, spending three and a half days intensely reviewing the latest and greatest in the field. So it’s time for an annual […]
June 2nd, 2008
Zoster Vaccine Guidelines — Official Answers, but Still Some Questions
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has just released the “official” guidelines for use of the zoster vaccine. And none too soon — if I had a dollar (or these days, make that a euro) for every curbside consult I’ve received about the zoster vaccine … The vaccine’s indications are simple — age over 60, […]