HAART – a common term for HIV combination therapy, an acronym for Highly Active AntiRetroviral Treatment.
Glossary
H
haematology – study (-ology) of blood (haema-)
haemoglobin – substance in red blood cells that carries oxygen.
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.
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.
HAV – hepatitis A, a virus that causes liver disease.
HBV – hepatitis B, a virus that causes liver disease.
HCV – hepatitis C, a virus that causes liver disease.
hepatic – relating to the liver, ie hepatitis = liver inflamation, hepatocyte = liver cell etc.
hepatic encephalopathy – brain disease that occurs when serious liver damage prevents toxic substances from being flitered out of the blood, and they enter the brain. See encephalopathy.
hepatitis – an infection that causes liver inflammation, usually a virus.
hepatotoxicity – the medical term for liver-related side effects
HHV-8 – Human Herpes Virus-8. The virus associated with Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS). Also called Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV).
Hickman line – a fixed central line that is used to deliver IV drugs close to where they are needed in the body.
high level resistance – when an HIV drug no longer works against the virus.
HIV – Human Immunodeficiency Virus
HIV PCR DNA test – a test that looks for HIV DNA (called integrated HIV) in blood. This is similar to viral load test which usually test for HIV RNA.
HIV transmission is when the virus passes from one person to another. When this is from mother to baby it is called mother-to-child transmission (MTCT), perinatal or vertical transmission. Children who become HIV-positive in this way are called vertically infected children
Hodgkins disease (HD) – a type of lymphoma (lymph cancer).
HPV (human papillomavirus) – a family of viruses associated with cervical cancer and anal cancer and genital warts.