HIV and ID Observations

September 28th, 2014

New FDA HIV Drug Approvals Unlikely to Have Much Impact, Unless …

If you’re an ID doc based in the USA, you probably received notice last week that two new HIV drugs were approved — cobicistat and elvitegravir. And if you’re wondering what the big deal is, welcome to the club. In fact, the Canadians beat us to the punch with more significant approval, the co-formulated darunavir/cobicistat, branded […]

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September 24th, 2014

Quick Question: How Do I Fill Out This Tricky Patient Job or School Form?

From a long-term and highly respected colleague comes this challenging query: Hi Paul, One of my HIV pts, doing wonderfully well, is planning to enroll in a nursing program. She does not want to disclose her HIV status (fine with me), but the hospital requests a list of current meds which, of course, would blow […]

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September 13th, 2014

In These Challenging Times for ID Doctors, a Little Comic Relief

I was passing a colleague in the hall the other day — he’s a general internist by training, now an important hospital administrator — and he briefly stopped me to get my take on the flurry of ID-related news bombarding the world right now. Him:  Hey, Paul, good to see you. Me:  Hi Jerry. Him: […]

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September 7th, 2014

It’s OK to Limit Who Prescribes HCV Therapy, but Insurers Shouldn’t Be Deciding

Some insurers would like to limit the prescribing of HCV treatment to gastroenterologists, hepatologists, or infectious diseases specialists. Not surprisingly, this doesn’t sit well with either the HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA) or the American Academy of HIV Medicine (AAHIVM), both of which have long acknowledged that some of the most seasoned HIV providers are generalists: “There is no […]

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September 3rd, 2014

How to Choose a Case for ID Case Conference

As August becomes September, ID fellows across the land are becoming increasingly skilled, heading rapidly upwards on that steep learning curve that is the first year of fellowship. With one-sixth of the year already in the books, it’s a wonderful thing to see. One potential downside to this accumulating knowledge, however, is that they start to […]

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