Cichocki, an HIV/AIDS registered nurse, uses his training and experience caring for patients to provide a resource for HIV-infected patients and their family members, friends, and caregivers. Cichocki provides a succinct basic overview of the history of HIV/AIDS and of the HIV life cycle. The content is easy to understand, and complicated medical concepts and jargon are explained. Cichocki also provides an overview of treatment options, explanations of the various opportunistic infections, and information on treating the "whole person" and living with HIV. VERDICT Newly diagnosed patients will find this an excellent book for learning more about HIV, and others will find it a great reference work. A resource list of HIV hotlines, support groups, and organizations would have added more value to the book, but overall it is a valuable guide for HIV/AIDS patients. Highly recommended.—Dana Ladd, Community Health Education Ctr., Virginia Commonwealth Univ. Libs. & Health Syst., Richmond
Gr 9 Up—This handbook is intended as a guide for patients who have been recently diagnosed with HIV. It opens with an introduction and a brief history of the AIDS epidemic in the United States and continues with chapters on prevention and testing, choosing a healthcare provider, medications, opportunistic infections, dental care, general wellness, and more. By far the most useful chapters are the ones dealing with medications and opportunistic infections. Though clearly written, the book suffers from repetition in several places of almost verbatim text, as well as an overly political view of the subject matter, as when Cichocki attacks certain political figures for their lack of action at a time when few yet understood the scope of the disease. Also, although the introduction states that the title's intended audience is HIV-positive patients, there are many occasions when it digresses into general information that is available elsewhere.—Robin Henry, Wakeland High School, Frisco, TX
Reviewer: Linda K. Connelly, PhD, DNP, MSH, CNS, ARNP, CNOR, COL (retired) (University of Houston)
Description: This update of an educational guide for patients living with a HIV starts with a history of the disease and covers all of the aspects of treatment. With the breakthroughs in HIV research, this is a book that should be updated every couple of years or with every significant development.
Purpose: The purpose is to educate patients with HIV whether they have just been diagnosed or have been living with the diagnosis for years. The author notes that education improves prognosis and quality of life. The book covers all aspects of HIV, including a very informative section on medications so patients can make educated decisions about their treatment.
Audience: The intended audience is HIV patients and their caregivers and families, but the book also could be a great guide for physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and other healthcare providers to assist in the education of patients and to discuss care in terms that patients and their families can understand.
Features: The book covers the history of HIV and how to select a physician. The medication section is thorough, written in understandable terms, and includes discussion of the risks and side effects of the medications. It also has helpful hints about living with HIV and how to make life as normal as possible. It covers HIV treatment goals and discusses everyday life topics such as nutrition, dental care, and exercise. The medication section is excellent using a format of dosage, form of delivery, side effects, and special considerations. This is not a unique way to present medications, but it is effective for comprehension. Pictures of the medications and a section on generic vs. trade names would be helpful. The chapter on "Treating the Whole Person" covers topics that patients may be reluctant to discuss with their physicians. Seeing these in print may make it easier for patients to bring up with their physicians, with one example being getting pregnant. This chapter also highlights the emotional or psychological aspects of the disease. Another informative chapter covers substance use and abuse. The chapters on opportunistic infections and associated conditions give HIV patients a working knowledge about how to recognize these conditions and to make sure they are reporting them to their physicians. It has concrete recommendations and suggestions, positively presented.
Assessment: I have only seen brochures on this topic, and they tend to cover just one small piece of the care of HIV patients. This is a comprehensive resource for patients and their families and friends. It can be used as a conversation starter with a healthcare provider. Often patients cannot remember all that is said at appointments, especially when first diagnosed or when the information is overwhelming. Healthcare providers could use this to reinforce the education of HIV patients on their need to remain healthy despite their disease process and to be educated about how their disease can be controlled and their quality of life can be improved. This second edition is justified as new medications and research breakthroughs are occurring every day.
a helpful and practical guide that offers non-specialist general readers with a wealth of information for people living with HIV and for people caring for HIV-positive loved ones...very strongly recommended”—Midwest Book Review; “well-written...a valuable resource on HIV/AIDS...an informative resource with practical application”—ARBA. From the first edition: “the content is easy to understand, and complicated medical concepts and jargon are explained. Newly diagnosed patients will find this an excellent book for learning more about HIV, and others will find it a great reference work...a valuable guide...highly recommended”—Library Journal; “well-written guide...a timely and valuable resource”—ARBA; “written in easy to understand language without sacrificing medical content”—Reference Reviews.
well-written guide...a timely and valuable resource
a reader-friendly guide for those diagnosed with HIV
