Selected words and phrases
fulminant liver disease – sudden, rapid disease progression related to liver failure.
toxoplasmosis (toxo) – an opportunistic infection caused by a protozoa. The risk to develop toxo increases after CD4 counts fall below 100 cells/mm3.
viral load test – a test that detects whether a virus is present (qualatitive) or that measures the amount of virus (quantitative).
This is usually in a sample of blood, but a viral load test can also be used to check viral levels in other samples including genital fluid, semen or spinal fluid.
Results are given as the number of copies of virus in a millilitre of blood (copies/mL).
half-life (T1/2) the time taken a drug to clear from the highest concentration to half this level. Drugs have different half-lives in different compartments (ie half-life in blood can be different from the half-life inside a cell). It take 5 x the half-live for a drug to be considered cleared.
foetal membranes are the membranes surrounding the foetus.