What is HIV infection? Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is caused by a virus that attacks the T-cells of the human immune system. This results in progressive weakening of the immune system leading to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), when the body is no longer able to fight infection effectively. HIV has no cure and …
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Vitiligo facts Picture of Vitiligo on Back Vitiligo facts* medically edited by Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD Vitiligo is a disease in which the pigment cells of the skin, melanocytes, are destroyed in certain areas. Symptoms and signs of vitiligo include loss of skin color in the form of depigmented, or white, patches of skin in any location on the body. …
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What are protease inhibitors in antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection? Protease inhibitors are one of the classes of drugs in the combination of drugs used for antiretroviral therapy (ART) for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Protease inhibitors were first introduced in 1995 and are effective for both HIV-1 and HIV-2 infections. Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) form the backbone of …
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What are integrase strand-transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) in antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV infection? Integrase strand-transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) are one of the latest additions to the classes of drugs used in antiretroviral therapy (ART) for human immunodeficiency (HIV) infection. The first integrase strand-transfer inhibitor came into use in 2007, as part of the ART regimen with nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs). …
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What are NNRTIs in antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection? Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) are one of the classes of drugs that form part of the antiretroviral therapy (ART) for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The first NNRTI drug was introduced in 1996, and since then this drug class has been an integral part of HIV treatment. What is antiretroviral …
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What are knee injections? Knee injection is performed to treat the pain arising from various diseases of the knee joint. Knee injection is a procedure in which medications are injected into the knee joint to treat the pain due to various causes. There are different types of knee injections. The most common type of intra-articular knee injection is corticosteroids. Other …
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What is an adhesiolysis procedure? Picture of an abdominal scar after adhesiolysis procedure. Adhesiolysis is a surgical procedure that removes abdominal adhesions. After abdominal surgery, the scar tissue is formed over the surgical wounds. This is part of the healing process. In some cases, the scars thicken giving rise to bands or lumps of scars known as abdominal adhesions. These …
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What is noninvasive ventilation? Invasive ventilation: The type of ventilation where oxygen is delivered to your lungs through a tube inserted into your nose or throat (endotracheal tube or tracheostomy tube) that goes into your windpipe. A ventilator is a machine that helps in delivering oxygen to your lungs. It is used to assist with breathing when you cannot breathe …
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What is pancreas? Although patients can leave the hospital after a few days or weeks, a full recovery from pancreas surgery can take two months or longer. The pancreas is a six to eight inches long organ situated in the abdomen, behind the stomach. The two main functions of the pancreas are regulating the blood sugar in the body and …
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What is compartment syndrome? A compartment pressure measurement test is testing for compartment syndrome. Compartment syndrome is a painful condition caused by excessive pressure building up within and between muscles. The muscles in your arms and legs are divided into groups by thick bands of tissue called fascia. The fascia has some openings or compartments which contain muscle tissue, nerves, …
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