The high death rate from AIDS prompted scientist to look for a cure to the deadly disease. The disease was discovered to be caused by the Human Immunodeficiency virus, HIV in 1982. In 1996, a new combination of drugs, antiretroviral medications were found to be effective and used to treat patients who in turn reduced the death rate. However, complications unrelated to AIDS increase in patients and so new group of medications Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) were introduced to treat the side effect but was unsuccessful.
In my anatomy and physiology classes I had learned how the immune system is affected by HIV. HIV causes inflammation in the body, this inflammation attack the spinal cord, brain and nerve cells preventing them from working as they supposed to. The different organs of the body will not function appropriately once the brain, spinal cord and nerves which are the main control system of the body has been affected. The virus attacks the red blood cell, so even if the virus is being controlled from spreading with these medications, the immune system is low making patients susceptible to minor diseases. Also, the patients will not respond to the medication again because of the suppression of T-cell mediated immunity.
Theses increasing complications have become a challenge for healthcare system especially nurses. Nurses are now trained to educate and treat patients with therapy sessions to know what to expect and the side effects. An anti-cancer drug that was used on a pilot has been proven to evict HIV from its hiding place. The virus hides in a CD4 cell which cannot fight it but a T-cell can. Also, a study at the