Conectar
To explore priorities, barriers to and experiences of palliative and end-of-life care from the perspectives of people living with HIV.
Cross-sectional online survey conducted in the UK between September 2024 and November 2024.
Online survey of people living with HIV.
The sample (N=90) was adults living with HIV in the UK. The majority of participants were male (82.4%), gay men (77.8%) and white (88.1%).
The majority of participants (58.9%) reported knowing what palliative care was and that they could explain it to someone else; however, a misconception about palliative care being only for the end of life was evident. Over a quarter of respondents (27.8%) reported that their HIV status ‘Sometimes’ negatively affected their experiences of care in general practitioner, hospital and dental settings. The top three priorities for end of life were (1) being in a calm atmosphere, (2) being free of pain and (3) support with psychological well-being. Not being judged was also identified as a priority.
To promote integration of palliative and end-of-life care into care pathways for people living with HIV, partnerships with HIV services and charities may be needed as well as tailored messaging and training for staff in generalist services.
by Dinesh Dadarwal, Kira Crooks, Patricia Lainetti, Ryan Dickinson, Khawaja Ashfaque Ahmed, Colin Palmer
This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a single postpartum administration of pegbovigrastim, a recombinant bovine granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rG-CSF), on peripheral leukocyte profiles, granulocyte function, and uterine cytology in healthy Holstein dairy cows. We hypothesized that rG-CSF would enhance leukocyte counts and granulocyte function without adversely affecting uterine immune cell composition. Twenty-three cows between 19–23 days in milk were randomly assigned to receive either rG-CSF (n = 12) or saline (n = 11). Blood samples were collected on the day of injection and on Days 3, 6, 10, and 21 post-treatment to assess total and differential leukocyte counts. Granulocyte phagocytosis of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled Staphylococcus aureus and oxidative burst capacity following PMA stimulation were evaluated using flow cytometry. Vaginoscopy and transrectal ultrasound examinations were conducted at each time point, and uterine cytobrush samples were collected from a subset of cows for cytological analysis. Compared to controls, rG-CSF-treated cows exhibited a significant (2–3 fold) increase in total leukocytes and neutrophils (P P P = 0.04) and phagocytic activity as well as capacity (P = 0.01) that peaked on Days 3 and 6 post-treatment, respectively, following rG-CSF treatment. Furthermore, uterine samples from treated cows showed higher proportions of neutrophils (Days 6, 10, and 21) and macrophages (Day 10) compared to controls (P
FreshRSS 