Subject(s)
AIDS Dementia Complex/diagnosis , AIDS Dementia Complex/nursing , HIV Infections/diagnosis , HIV Infections/nursing , AIDS Dementia Complex/drug therapy , Aged , Diagnosis, Differential , Female , HIV Infections/epidemiology , HIV Infections/etiology , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Patient Education as Topic , Sexual Behavior , United States/epidemiology , Zidovudine/therapeutic useABSTRACT
When older adults are admitted to the hospital, they are usually admitted with multiple diagnoses and are not usually considered to be at risk for HIV infection. The review of hospital records discussed in this article documents that people over 60 years of age are indeed infected with HIV and that 42% of the population studied were in the age range of 70 to 100 years. The review of hospital records documented that people over 60 years of age and older fell into the same high risk populations as did people from any other age group. Gerontological nurses must be informed about the methods of prevention, expected course of infection, response to treatment, and effective ways to implement nursing care for older adults who are HIV positive.
Subject(s)
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/nursing , Aged , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/prevention & control , Female , HIV Infections/nursing , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Risk Factors , Skilled Nursing Facilities/trendsABSTRACT
1. With the awareness that the population of older adults with whom nurses and other health-care workers come in contact may indeed be HIV infected, the need for universal precautions becomes imperative in all health-care settings. 2. The subpopulations of older adults in which HIV infection is most likely to be concentrated are the same as those for any other age group; ie, homosexual and bisexual men, IV drug users and their partners, people who have received blood products, and sexual partners of people who are HIV infected. 3. It is important for nurses to recognize that older adults may be manifesting the signs of symptoms of AIDS; for example, some people diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease may actually have AIDS-related dementia. 4. Gerontological nurses need to be the initiators of implementing universal precautions in their health-care settings.