Need a doctor? Call a nurse.
by Laura Whitehorn
Nurses rival doctors at keeping HIV-positive patients healthy. That’s what a South African study concluded after nearly two years of observation.
First, 812 people had an HIV combo prescribed by a doctor. Then they were divided into two groups. One group was regularly monitored and treated by doctors, the other by nurses. After 96 weeks, the groups were almost identical in viral load, CD4 counts and number of regimen switches, side effects and deaths—and how many clinic appointments they missed.
These results bode well for places with few doctors but many HIV-positive people. And if you were worried that you got inferior care because you saw the nurse instead of the MD at your last clinic visit, relax. The nurse is in.
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Filed under: HIV and AIDS, Medical and Research, hiv, HIV Treatment, people living with the virus, south africa. aids
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