Multidiscipline...

 

I saw a couple of pieces this morning over utilizing a multidisciplinary approach to treating illnesses, such as HIV.  The concept is valid, too bad the articles were just blips.  Maybe they'll put out something with more substance.

Health & disease have rarely, if ever, been solely medical issues.   They have almost always been mired in the classes, economics, religions, culture, etc of  the given society.  The rich rarely face the same level of health risks as the poor.  Even if they do, they enjoy better resources to handle it.  Class systems,   religions & racial beliefs have added to the disparate reactions & reasoning regarding illness.

Very little in any society is the same across the board.  That's not a judgement call, it's just what is.  Until  that is recognized, considered & addressed the treatment of any illness will widely vary across the population.   Some of these reasons are biological, but most are sociocultural. 

A multidisciplinary approach is needed for any health care organization.   Just don't saddle that on actual  medical staff.  Those jobs are for case workers, social workers, resource managers, counselors, etc...  Those titles & more are necessary if we wish to end HIV/AIDS.

Cya...

The Indiana Saga Continues...

The outbreak of HIV, Hep C & who knows what else continues in Indiana.   In what was a reasonably  avoidable incident of mass HIV transmission, the state's conservative politics plunged it into a disease situation so serious the threat is now recognized by the federal government & the CDC.  

Recently, the governor has shot from the hip with a little-too-little attempts to control the situation.   However, not everyone's been on the same page with those efforts.   The only thing for certain is that this will get worse before it gets better.  

This county is starting to feel the sting of the outbreak as well.  Shop owners are losing sales from out of town folks, who are choosing to go elsewhere.  There's been reports of tension at local sporting events aimed at local kids.  

Now, the stigma of HIV is starting to carry over to the whole area.  This area will be known as that poor, little area of drug users that spread all those diseases.  Soon, if you're from this area, people will just assume your HIV + or have Hep C or both.  They'll probably think you're a drug user.

A lot of people are going to pay for something that could've been avoided.  Testing & education in regards to HIV, STD's & drugs could've gone a long way here to lessened the impact of this situation.  But those type of things are big No-No's in the conservative landscape.  

Who knows where this will end?   I don't.  But I do know that a lot of people are going to be + & possibly infected with other illnesses as well.   I know this area will have a public relations nightmare for years to come.  I know this is far from over.  Way to go Indiana.  Thanks for making Oklahoma looking less crazy.

Cya...

Primates...

There are quite a few recent articles relating the origin of some types of HIV to gorillas.  In the past, researchers have tied the virus to monkeys & chimps.  Now, they feel they've covered the known strains of HIV.  

Does this matter?  Yes & no.  It matters to those who want to study the origin of disease.  It may prove important in finding a means to fight or cure the virus.

More importantly, it again proves the presence of zoonotic illnesses.  Those that can pass from animals to people.   These ailments can be of particular danger to us.    These can range from viruses, bacteria to parasites.  Take Lyme disease or rabies for example.

Its sort of poetic.  Man has been invading these animals' habitats for centuries,  They've been killing them off for food, sport & trophies.  Now these animals are giving their killers a bonus prize, HIV.  Can't say we didn't have it coming.

There's a ton of material on this matter if your interested, just Google it.

Cya....

Don't Tell Me You're Safe...

This may seem a little off point, but it isn't.  Just got around to watching this week's episode of Grey's Anatomy,  Sleeping Monster (S09e21).  In the previous episode an intern was on the verge of being fired for spreading an infection to patients due to taking part in an operation while she was ill.  All signs pointed to this intern until Dr. Bailey had her go through her surgical notes.  As the story plays out, more cases of the infection emerge.  The intern was only present at 1 of the operations.  So, it wasn't her.

After studying the surgical notes, only 1 person was present at every surgery, Dr. Bailey, herself.  The board acts quickly & the CDC is called in, but still the other patients die from the infection.  Bailey is taken off of service & is repeatedly questioned about every detail of the surgeries.  

Bailey is carrying the MRSA bacterium & has contaminated these patients.  She was the cause.  However, it still shouldn't have happened.  The reason she was able to spread MRSA & probably how she, herself, was infected was by using a newer type of surgical gloves that were defective.  

Even though she did everything by the book.  Even though she scrubbed meticulously.  Even though she was caring, considerate & capable.  She still passed the bacterium that killed these people.  Was it her fault?  No, it wasn't.  It was due to faulty gloves.   Regardless, it won't  change the fact those patients are dead, she is infected & feels responsible for those deaths.

Grey's is just a TV show, but the metaphor is obvious.  I don't care how safe you think you play, you're not safe.  You aren't safe from HIV or any other STD.  You could make a mistake.  Your partner could be lying or ignorant.  The condom could be faulty.  In this day, there is only safer sex, not safe sex.  This is why education & testing are so important to deal with HIV.  Without prevention & testing measures there will be no end to the virus, no matter how careful people may be.

Cya...

The Next Da Da Da...

Lately there's been a lot of talk about the next HIV.  What?!  There is only HIV.  Anything else, is something else.  I get what they're saying, but really?  The 2 main suspects are Chagas Disease & Zoonotic illnesses from eating monkeys & apes in Africa.  

These illnesses are serious, however they are not HIV & shouldn't be compared to them.  Doing so only detracts from the seriousness of HIV.  Unfortunately, it also associates the stigmas people have towards HIV to these other diseases which are not transmitted in similar manners.

Yes, these things do have the potential to spread as widely as HIV, but that doesn't make them HIV.   Saying they are alike is going to make some people think they know something about these other illnesses when they don't.  HIV is a communicable virus.  These others are based on exposure to a parasite &/or foodstuffs that should not have been consumed.

At this time, while there are variants of HIV, there is still only 1 HIV.

Cya...

Brief...

My net is being a pain today.  So, I'll tell you of a common theme I've been reading lately, co-infection.  Many + people are also infected by other communicable diseases such as TB, Hep C & Syphilis.  I'd imagine it was probable they'd also carry a host of other ailments transmitted via sexual contact, needle sharing or blood.

This doesn't seem like much of a surprise to me, but it seems like ground shaking news to the medical communities.  Why?  I don't know.  It's a common sense approach to test the + patients for all these ailments in the beginning of treatment.  I had this done & my doctors acted like it was just SOP.

I guess all I can say on this matter is that if you're +, then you should make sure you get tested for these type  of diseases as well.  The sooner you're diagnosed, the sooner you can get treatment.

Cya