PT (prothrombin time; pro-time) – PT testing measures the amount of time it takes for blood to clot. When the liver is damaged, its ability to make clotting factors is impaired. If this time increases – referred to as a prolonged PT interval – it shows that the liver is not working so well.
Glossary
Selected words and phrases
integrase inhibitor – a type of HIV drug that stops HIV genetic material from ‘integrating’ into the DNA in a cell.
This is a relatively new family of HIV drugs.
Raltegravir, elvitegravir and dolutegravir are all integrase inhibitors.
randomise – in research, this is a way of decide at random which participants join each group. So neither you or your doctor chose which group you join in a research study. A common example is that the decision would be made similar to tossing a coin.
More information from the i-Base guide to HIV research.
performance stage – WHO classification of progress of HIV infection.
candida – fungus (yeast) infection that affects the mouth and throat, gullet, sinuses, genital organs and – rarely – the brain. Also called ‘thrush’.