Volume 8 Number 11/12 November/December 2007

New i-Base resources

Introduction to Combination Therapy, November 2007

The latest edition of the i-Base Introduction to Combination Therapy is included as a supplement to this issue of HTB.

The November 2007 edition has been updated to include recent changes to the European and US guidelines. We have reduced the size, rewritten the section on choice of treatment, included several new graphs and tables, including a pull-out colour chart of ARVs, and added pages to record CD4, viral load, and other test results.

As with all publications, the guide is free, including bulk orders for use in clinics.

Training manual for advocates, December 2007

The training manual for advocates made up of 8 modules for learning about basic aspects of HIV care has been updated and published online.

1. Immune system and CD4 count 2. Virology, HIV and viral load 3. Introduction to anti-retrovirals (ARVs) 4. Side effects of ARVs 5. Opportunistic infections and coinfections 6. HIV and pregnancy 7. Drug users and HIV 8. How to read science

Each section includes online test questions and answers. We hope this will be useful for training advocates and other related healthcare workers as well as for HIV-positive people who want to know more about aspects of their healthcare.

Generic clinic forms, December 2007

We have also posted online a set of generic clinic forms, developed with the Royal Free Centre for HIV Medicine, which may be a useful resource for other hospitals.

These PDF files include record sheets to track CD4 and viral load results, cardiovascular risk, hepatitis, first patient visit, patient update, day case and summary notes.

Please contact the i-Base office if you would like help adding your own hospital or Trust logo to these forms.