No abstract

Little is known about sleep problems in persons with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The article reports a study that assessed quantitative and qualitative aspects of sleep in a group of men and women with HIV infection and examined sleep parameters in regard to the degree of immune function. The convenience sample of 50 persons was drawn from an HIV clinic in a large midwestern metropolitan area. Subjects identified a variety of problems with their sleep that were not significantly related to their immune status. The findings of this study indicate that nurses should perform a sleep history and assessment on all persons with HIV infection to identify those in need of intervention.

Seven cats diagnosed as¯ea allergic by speci®c criteria and seven normal control cats were exposed to¯ea bites in a controlled manner and were given intradermal injections of 1:1000 w/v¯ea antigen. Subjective evaluation of gross lesions and documentation of histological changes at¯ea antigen intradermal skin test (IDST) and¯ea bite sites were performed at 15 min, 24 h and 48 h after IDST or¯ea exposure. Control cats did not develop an immediate gross reaction to either¯ea bites or the intradermal injection of¯ea antigen. All seven¯ea-allergic cats had an immediate gross reaction at the site of IDST with¯ea antigen; ®ve of these cats also developed immediate gross reactions to¯ea bites. Three of seven¯ea-allergic cats developed a gross 24 h and/or 48 h delayed reaction at the¯ea antigen IDST sites. These three and one other cat had both an immediate and delayed gross reaction to¯ea bites. Histological examination of 15 min skin specimens from IDST and¯ea bite sites of¯ea-allergic cats were similar with a mild lymphocytic, histiocytic and mastocytic super®cial perivascular dermatitis. Histological examination of 24 h and 48 h skin specimens from IDST and ea bite sites of¯ea-allergic cats showed that they were often indistinguishable. Histological features of IDST and¯ea bite sites of¯ea-allergic cats at 24 h consisted of a perivascular to diuse predominately eosinophilic dermatitis and mural folliculitis with variable epidermal necrosis and ulceration.