Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes : JAIDS
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J. Acquir. Immune Defic. Syndr. · Nov 2013
HIV medical providers' perceptions of the use of antiretroviral therapy as nonoccupational postexposure prophylaxis in 2 major metropolitan areas.
In 2005, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded its recommendation of postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) use in the workplace to include nonoccupational exposures (nPEP). The availability and extensive use of nPEP have not achieved widespread acceptance among health-care providers of high-risk populations, and public health and primary care agencies have been sparse in their implementation of nPEP promotion, protocols, and practices. ⋯ Our findings are consistent with earlier studies showing the underuse of nPEP as a prevention strategy. The significance of having a written nPEP protocol and of patient requests for nPEP speaks to the importance of using targeted strategies to promote widespread awareness of the use of HIV antiretroviral medications as a prevention intervention.
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J. Acquir. Immune Defic. Syndr. · Nov 2013
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyHIV infection is associated with reduced pulmonary diffusing capacity.
Prior studies comparing abnormalities in pulmonary function between HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected persons in the current era are limited. ⋯ HIV infection is an independent risk factor for reduced DLCO, particularly in individuals with a CD4 cell count below 200 cells per microliter. Abnormalities in pulmonary function among HIV-infected patients manifest clinically with increased respiratory symptoms. Mechanisms accounting for the reduced DLCO require further evaluation.
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J. Acquir. Immune Defic. Syndr. · Nov 2013
Scaling up routine HIV testing at specialty clinics: assessing the effectiveness of an academic detailing approach.
Scaling up routine HIV testing represents a key component of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. Barriers to routine HIV testing have limited widespread adoption. Although many patients visit specialty care providers, few efforts to increase routine HIV testing in specialty care settings have been made. We report on use of a survey of barriers to routine testing coupled with academic detailing-type educational sessions to increase routine testing at specialty clinics in Chicago's main safety-net health system. ⋯ The increase in routine HIV testing in 2 of 3 specialty services suggests that academic detailing-type interventions can improve routine testing uptake in public safety-net specialty care settings and may represent a useful component to incorporate into system-wide scale-up efforts.