Case study on HIV Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

On HIV - Case Study Example Since the patient has recurrent pneumonia, it is also advisable to know whether or not the patient has been receiving IVDU or blood transfusion including possible drug addiction and vaccination history since HIV virus can be transmitted through the use of needle via blood contact. Other information should include asking whether or not the patient has been diagnosed with hepatitis B or C, neoplasms, night sweats, adenopathy, pharyngitis, mouth and anal pain, depression, and significant changes in sleeping patterns. All these factors increases the chances that the patient will have low immune system making her easily infected with HIV virus. It concerns me that the patient has a history of recurring pneumonia, had a smoking history, fatigue, 7-lbs unintentional weight loss during the past six months, and has a long history of an abnormal vaginal yeast infection. Since the patient has recurring pneumonia and has 5-day history of fever, dyspnea, and right-sided pleuretic chest pain, I would like to ask whether or not the patient is experiencing shortness of breath and cough since these symptoms together with the patient’s health complaints are associated with opportunistic infections like Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) – the most common type of respiratory infection, and Myocobacterium avium complex (MAC) / Mycobacterium avium intracellular (MAI) which is the common bacterial infection among the patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) / HIV infection (Johnson, 2004, p. 2). With regards to fatigue and 7-lbs unintentional weight loss during the past six months, I would like to ask whether the patient is experiencing loss of appetite, nausea, oral and esophageal candidiasis which is often characterized by painful white patches when swallowing food, oral lesions, or retrosternal pain (Johnson, 2004, p. 2). All these additional questions are necessary