Oncology and HIV/AIDS

[BBQvegan]

Hi oncology nurses,

Do you find many HIV/AIDS patients in your practice? How are they integrated into the oncology setting? How are their treatments similar to or different from cancer patients?

Thanks!

[prowlingMA]

The office I work in is Hematology/Oncology, so we see a few HIV/ AIDS patients. It is generally due to some other issue they are having ( Kaposi sarcoma, anemia,or other tumor issues) .

Some times it is not listed as their primary diagnosis, so we don't even know their HIV + until you read the full history.

Which is why all those precaution measures are mandatory, cause you never know.

But generally HIV/AIDS would beseen by a Infectious disease specialist also.

I have really learned that the " stereo type" is so not true. We have young and old, men and women, heterosexual and homosexual, HIV+ patients of every race, religion, and economic group.