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MEDICAL ANIMATION TRANSCRIPT: HIV is the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. If you have HIV, you have an infection that damages your immune system over time, and causes AIDS. AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. It is the final stage of an HIV infection, when your immune system is damaged and too weak to fight off ordinary infections. When foreign invaders, such as bacteria and viruses, get into your body, they can cause infections. These events activate your body's defenses. The white blood cells of your immune system are part of your body's defenses. One type of white blood cell, called helper T lymphocytes, or helper T cells, strengthen your immune system's response to infection in two ways. First, helper T cells release chemicals that attract other white blood cells to the site of the infection. These additional white blood cells attack the invading bacteria or virus, as well as other infected cells. Second, helper T cells release chemicals that cause other white blood cells to multiply. These new white blood cells create markers, called antibodies, which can identify the same foreign invader throughout your body. Antibodies attach to the bacteria or virus, marking them as targets for your immune system to destroy them. If you have HIV, it travels through your blood and other body fluids to infect and kill certain white blood cells. The virus enters helper T cells, which are the primary target. Once inside, the virus makes many copies of itself. As these virus particles are made, they leave the damaged helper T cell to infect other cells. The T cell loses its ability to protect the body from the ongoing infection and dies. In this way, HIV spreads and kills more of your helper T cells, weakening your immune system. As a result, other types of infections are able to take advantage of your body's inability to defend itself. These infections are called opportunistic infections. If you have an HIV infection, and one or more opportunistic infections, you have AIDS. Some of the common AIDS-related opportunistic infections are inflammation of the tissues covering your brain and spinal cord, called meningitis, inflammation of your brain, called encephalitis. Respiratory illnesses, such as pneumonia and tuberculosis. Intestinal illnesses, such as chronic diarrhea caused by infectious parasites. And cancers, such as Kaposi's sarcoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. HIV passes from person to person through infected body fluids. HIV can enter your body during unprotected sex, while sharing drug injection needles, during your own childbirth, while breastfeeding from your mother, or from contaminated blood or blood products. Although there is no cure for HIV, drugs called antiretroviral medications can reduce the amount of HIV in your body. One class of antiretroviral medication, called entry or fusion inhibitors, disrupts the HIV infection process by preventing the virus from attaching to your cells. Other classes of antiretroviral medications include reverse transcriptase inhibitors, protease inhibitors, and integrase inhibitors. These drugs prevent the creation, assembly, and spread of new viruses. Your doctor may prescribe a combination of these drug classes, known as highly active antiretroviral therapy, or HAART. Antiretroviral medication doesn't completely remove HIV from your body, but slows it down enough to enable your immune system to fight infections. Regular blood tests will let your doctor know how effective your antiretroviral medication is in controlling HIV. If the number of helper T cells is high enough in your blood sample, your medication is working. Treatments for the opportunistic infections of AIDS are medications specific for each type of infection. For example, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics if you have pneumonia or tuberculosis. To avoid getting or spreading an HIV infection, know your HIV status and your partner's status by getting tested regularly. The most effective way to prevent HIV infection is to avoid vaginal and anal sex. When engaging in sexual activity, you will be less likely to contract HIV if you only have sex with one uninfected partner, or use latex condoms for protection. Avoid using injectable illegal drugs, or sharing drug needles, because the needles may have the virus on them. Avoid intoxication from drugs or alcohol, because you will be more likely to engage in unsafe sexual behavior.
"It is with great enthusiasm that I recommend Medical Legal Art. We have
used their services for three years and always found their professionalism,
quality of work, and timely attention to detail to exceed our expectations.
We recently settled two complicated catastrophic injury cases. One medical
malpractice case involving a spinal abscess settled for 3.75 million and the
other involving injuries related to a motor vehicle accident settled for 6.9
million. We consider the artwork provided by MLA to have been invaluable in
helping us to successfully conclude these cases.
I highly recommend MLA to anyone seeking high quality, detailed medical
legal artwork."
E. Marcus Davis, Esq.
Davis Zipperman, Krischenbaum & Lotito
Atlanta, GA www.emarcusdavis.com
"We got a defense verdict yesterday! Your exhibit was extremely helpful in
showing the jury how unlikely it is to damage all four of the nerve branches
which control the sense of taste."
Karen M. Talbot
Silverman Bernheim & Vogel, P.C.
Philadeplphia, PA
"I wanted to thank you for the terrific job you did illustrating my client's
injuries. The case was settled at the pre-suit mediation, and I believe a
good part of the success we had was due to the medical legal art you
prepared.
Your work received the ultimate compliment at the conclusion of the mediation. The hospital risk manager took the exhibit with them at the
conclusion of mediation, and will be using it to train nurses on how to
prevent bed sores..."
Steven G. Koeppel Troy, Yeslow & Koeppel, P.A. Fort Myers, FL
"At 3 PM it hit me--I needed exhibits of a tracheostomy, a coronary artery
bypass and a deep vein thrombosis--all in time for a for-trial video
deposition the next day. The Doe Report had each exhibit on line. In
addition, I ran across an exhibit I hadn't even thought of: reduced ejection
fraction after a heart attack. Because this was a video deposition, I could
use the e-mail version of the medical exhibit, print it on my color copier,
and let the camera zoom in. For $400, less than one blow-up by one of The
Doe Report's competitors, I got four first-rate exhibits in less than a day.
The Doe Report saved me time and money."
Medical Legal Art creates medical demonstrative evidence (medical
illustrations, drawings, pictures, graphics, charts, medical animations,
anatomical models, and interactive presentations) for use during legal
proceedings, including research, demand letters, client conferences,
depositions, arbitrations, mediations, settlement conferences, mock jury
trials and for use in the courtroom. We do not provide legal or medical
advice. If you have legal questions, you should find a lawyer with whom you
can discuss your case issues. If you have medical questions, you should seek the advice of a healthcare provider.
