CLINICAL.html


    
        
            

            
                FORUM

                Clinical case study programme

                Regina Osih, MD, MPH
            

            
                Corresponding author: R Osih (regina.osih@gmail.com)

                
                

                The Southern African HIV Clinicians Society’s
                online clinical cases are geared at providing excellent continuing
                medical education for members of the Society. This activity has been
                created to offer clinicians working in the HIV area access to online
                education. Cases are written by experienced HIV specialists and can
                range from general adult HIV/TB through specialist paediatric cases to
                other related infectious diseases encountered when managing patients
                with HIV.

                Cases can be marked with one, two or three stars. One-star cases are
                basic cases directed towards clinicians who are new to the practice of
                HIV or who intend to start providing HIV care. They are also
                appropriate for clinicians who have more experience but who do not see
                HIV-positive patients on a routine basis and would like to refresh
                their knowledge around the management of key HIV-related conditions.

                Cases marked with two stars are meant for clinicians who work daily
                with HIV-positive patients but would not consider themselves experts in
                the field. Cases marked with three stars are meant for clinicians who
                currently provide comprehensive HIV care and/or are specialists in the
                field of HIV and infectious disease. Each activity is accredited for
                four CPD points through the Health Professions Council of South Africa.
                While the activity is open to all users of the website, only members of
                the Society can redeem CPD points for successfully completing the
                activity.

                Box 1 provides an abbreviated example of a case from the case
                library. This particular case illustrates the complex interaction
                between viral hepatitis B and HIV in mode of transmission, diagnosis
                and treatment. It also explores reasons why an HIV-1 viral load could
                be below the level of detection in this patient, or in an untreated
                patient in general. Other case studies focus on ART complications,
                paediatric HIV treatment and ethical issues. Case studies will be added
                on a regular basis to form a library of resources available to all
                Society members.

                For more information, please visit our website case library at http://www. sahivsoc.org/case-studies/overview.

            

            
                Regina Osih is a public health consultant in private practice in Johannesburg.

            

            
                Box 1. Summary of clinical case study:

                Hepatitis B

                A 24-year-old
                man presents to the clinic with a history of hepatitis B, treated at
                another hospital a year go. He had presented with acute hepatitis a few
                years ago, and on follow-up at 6 months was found to be hepatitis BsAg
                positive and treated for 1 year with 3TC (lamivudine). He presents to a
                new clinic after 1 year of 3TC treatment (which has just been
                discontinued) for further management. This patient was not tested for
                HIV at the time of his first presentation. An HIV test is done at this
                presentation, and it is positive – but with an undetectable HIV-1
                viral load.