Acute HIV Infection

Fever
Fever is also known as hyperthermia, pyrexia, or simply elevated temperature. It describes a body temperature that is higher than normal. Fever can affect children and adults alike. A short-term increase in body temperature can help the body fig  More »
HLCMS

Sore Throat
A sore throat refers to pain, itchiness, or irritation of the throat. You may have difficulty swallowing food and liquids, and the pain may get worse when you try to swallow. Throat pain is the primary symptom of a sore throat. However, other sym  More »
HLCMS

Weight Loss
It is important to maintain a healthy weight as you age. Excess weight combined with the strain of aging can make you more susceptible to illness and can shorten your life. However, changes in metabolism and the difficulty of eliminating poor habi  More »
HLCMS

Malaise
Unlike most other conditions, malaise doesn't have a precise set of symptoms. Instead, it is described as an overall sense of discomfort, illness, or simply not feeling well.Sometimes, a person can have a sudden onset of malaise. Other ti  More »
HLCMS

Loss of Appetite
Anorexia is characterized by a loss of appetite or lack of desire to eat.  More »
Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer

Blood Component Transfusion
The process of transferring whole blood or blood components from one person (donor) to another (recipient).  More »
Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer

Absolute CD4 Count
A T-cell count is a blood test that measures the number of T-cells in your body. T-cells are a type of white blood cells, which may also be called lymphocytes. These cells work to fight off diseases. Sometimes your body has too many or too few T  More »
HLCMS

History and Physical Exam
The health status of populations and of individuals is assessed for many reasons. Assessing needs for care helps guide the allocation of resources— diagnostic assessments guide treatment, prognostic assessments contribute to planning, and assessin...  More »
Gale Encyclopedia of Public Health

HIV-1 Western Blot Assay
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is an infectious disease that attacks the immune system. If it is not treated, it can develop into acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which is a prolonged and fatal illness. HIV is spread through vagi  More »
HLCMS

Oraquick Rapid HIV-1Antibody Test
AIDS tests, short for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome tests, cover a number of different procedures used in the diagnosis and treatment of HIV patients. These tests are sometimes called AIDS serology tests. Serology is the branch of immunology ...  More »
Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine

Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
ELISA, or EIA, is an acronym for enzyme-linked immuno assay. ELISA is a test that detects and measures antibodies in your blood. This test can be used to determine if you have antibodies that are related to certain infectious conditions. Antibodie  More »
HLCMS

Zidovudine
ZIDOVUDINE, ZDV (zye DOE vue deen) is an antiretroviral medicine. It is used with other medicines to treat HIV. This medicine is not a cure for HIV. It will not stop the spread of HIV to others.  More »
GOLD

Acetylcarnitine
The main function of L-carnitine is to transfer long-chain fatty acids in the form of their acyl-carnitine esters across the inner mitochondrial membrane before beta-oxidation. In humans, it is synthesized in the liver, kidney, and brain and activ...  More »
NaturalStandard

Enfuvirtide
ENFUVIRTIDE (en FYOO vir tide) is an antiretroviral drug. It is used with other medicines to treat HIV. This medicine is not a cure for HIV. It will not stop the spread of HIV to others.  More »
GOLD

Flaxseed
Flaxseed and its derivative flaxseed oil/linseed oil are rich sources of the essential fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid, which is a biologic precursor to omega-3 fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic acid. Although omega-3 fatty acids have been asso...  More »
NaturalStandard

Ritonavir
RITONAVIR (ri TOE na veer) is an antiretroviral medicine. It is used with other medicines to treat HIV. This medicine is not a cure for HIV. It will not stop the spread of HIV to others.  More »
GOLD

Meditation
Various forms of meditation have been practiced for thousands of years throughout the world, with many techniques originating in Eastern religious practices. In modern times, numerous meditation types are in use, often outside of their original re...  More »
NaturalStandard

Chiropractic Manipulation
Spinal manipulative therapies are those that are used on the human skeleton, particularly the spinal area, to relieve muscular or skeletal pain , relieve tension, improve the mobility of joints and, in the case of the oriental therapies, to "unblo...  More »
Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine

Guided Imagery
Throughout history, many cultures have used imagery for therapeutic purposes, including the Navajo, ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Chinese. Religions such as Hinduism and Judaism have also practiced imagery. In modern times, the term "guided image...  More »
NaturalStandard

Massage
Various forms of therapeutic superficial tissue manipulation have been practiced for thousands of years across cultures. Chinese use of massage dates to 1600 BC, and Hippocrates made reference to the importance of physicians being experienced with...  More »
NaturalStandard

Acupuncture
The practice of acupuncture originated in China 5,000 years ago. Today it is widely used throughout the world and is one of the main pillars of Chinese medicine. There are many different varieties of the practice of acupuncture, both in the Orient...  More »
NaturalStandard

AIDS
This intro to HIV/AIDS includes their origin and the two different types of HIV (HIV-1 and HIV-2).  More »
HLCMS

Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is a potentially fatal contagious disease that can affect almost any part of the body but is mainly an infection of the lungs . It is caused by a bacterial microorganism: the tubercle bacillus or Mycobacterium tuberculosis . Alth...  More »
Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health

Toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis is an infection that is caused by a parasite. This parasite, called Toxoplasma gondii, can be found in cat feces and in undercooked meat, especially venison, lamb, and pork. Toxoplasmosis can be deadly for a fetus if the mother bec  More »
HLCMS

Kaposi's Sarcoma
Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a cancerous tumor. It commonly appears in multiple locations on the skin and around the nose, mouth, genitals, and/or anus, but can also attack the internal organs. It's caused by a virus called the human h  More »
HLCMS

Candidiasis
Candidiasis is an infection caused by a species of the yeast Candida , usually Candida albicans . This is a common cause of vaginal infections in women. Also, Candida may cause mouth infections in people with reduced immune function, or in patient...  More »
Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine

Universal precautions
These are procedures to be followed by all staff who are caring for a patient believed to be harboring a highly contagious dangerous pathogen, such as AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), that is transmitted in blood, blood products, and oth...  More »
Gale Encyclopedia of Public Health