Control investigations

Control investigations
The effect of the combination therapy can be pursued by different special laboratory values and the virus load regulation in the meantime well and helps the treating physician, together with the patient beginning to determine change or continuation of the combination therapy. An early knowledge around the HIV infection (by a test) can particularly lie by these new possibilities in the interest of the patient, in order not to miss the correct time for a therapy. These control investigations are thus important and should be accomplished regularly! To the control investigations the determination of different special laboratory values belongs, like for example the CD4 cells. For some years it is besides possible to measure both in the blood the circulating and the viruses contained in the cells quantitatively. This procedure is called virus load regulation (virus load) and can after different molecular-biological measuring procedures be accomplished. The experienced physician can control so the process of the HIV infection and determine together with the patient treatments preventing against opportunistische infections or the beginning of a antiretroviralen combination therapy. If the signs of the weakening of the immune system increase, it is so possible, the patients before typical infections, for example before an Pneumocystis infection of the lung to protect. Further newer investigation procedures, like e.g. the determination of the resistances against different medicines, make it today possible to observe the effect of the medicines on the individual patient and to provide so an individually cut treatment plan.