Which of the following statement regarding HIV infection is true?: (A) Following needle stick injury HIV transmission can be reduced by administration of nucleoside analogues, (B) CD4 counts are the best predictors of disease progression, (C) Infected T cells survive for a month in infected patients, (D) In latent phase HIV has minimal replication
Answer is A. Postexposure prophylaxis after a needle stick injury, should be initiated as quickly as possible, preferably within 1 to 2 hours. CDC guidelines recommend two general alternatives: a basic regimen, which consists of two-drug therapy, often consisting of azidothymidine and lamivudine, and an expanded regimen, which adds a third drug, such as indinavir or nelfinavir. Ref: Harrisons Internal Medicine, 18th Edition, Chapter 189 ; Tintinalli's Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide, 7th Edition, Chapter 149