The Pacific AIDS Education and Training Center offers a one-week clinical training program for providers on HIV/AIDS and Children. This one-week program provides licensed, practicing physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners with a comprehensive clinical learning experience in preparation for managing and understanding aspects of HIV infection in children and youth.

Site of Training

Training takes place through the Childrens AIDS Center at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, an affiliated hospital of the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.

The first case of pediatric AIDS in Southern California was identified at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) in 1983. Since then, CHLA has become the largest pediatric HIV disease and AIDS care provider in the Western United States, diagnosing and managing more than 400 children and youth.

CHLA physicians and scientists have initiated a proactive approach to fighting this disease. Comprehensive clinical care, state-of-the-art research, early diagnosis and continuing education are paramount in CHLA remaining a leader in the provision of specialized HIV disease and AIDS-related treatment for children and youth.

At Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, provider trainees will rotate with:

• Clinical Immunology Service
• Division of Adolescent Medicine Risk Reduction Service
• Clinical Laboratory

Content areas addressed during clinical training are listed below. However, trainees will have the opportunity to indicate their own interests regarding the focus of their clinical training experience

• HIV virology, immunology and epidemiology

• Assessment of HIV Risk and HIV Test Counseling
  • Identification of children and youth at risk for HIV infection
  • Use of immunizations in children at risk for AIDS
  • History taking and physical examination of children and youth at risk for HIV infection
  • HIV test counseling for parents and youth

• Diagnosis and Staging of HIV infection
  • Appropriate laboratory studies to diagnose HIV infection, including HIV antibody assays, culture, and PCR
  • CDC criteria for classification of pediatric HIV infection
  • Appropriate laboratory studies to monitor virologic and immunologic status, such as HIV RNA (“viral load”), T-cell numbers and function, quantitative immunoglobulin levels and antigen-specific antibody functions,

• Opportunistic Infections
  • Early signs and symptoms of major opportunistic infections, including Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, Cytomegalovirus hepatitis or enteritis, Mycobacterium avium infection,
  • Criteria for initiating and monitoring PCP prophylaxis,

• Common Findings in HIV Infection
  • Initial evaluation of common HIV-associated complications, including fever, diarrhea and cough
  • Significance of common findings in HIV infection (anemia, granulocyta, elevated lever function tests, hyperimmunoglubuinemia)
  • Significance of common physical findings associated with HIV infection (failure to thrive, developmental delay, oral candidiasis, lymphadenopathy, hyperreflexia)

• Therapy
  • Therapies for common minor problems associated with HIV infection, such as oral candidiasis, recurrent otitis media/sinusitis, diarrhea and anorexia,
  • Criteria for initiation and monitoring antiviral therapy,
  • Indications for use of IVIG in children with HIV infection

• Psychosocial Aspects of HIV Infection
  • Assessing the psychosocial status of the HV infected child or youth
  • Resources for providing support services to HIV infected youth.

This program is sponsored by the Pacific AIDS Education and Training Center, USC, and is supported by grant # 1 H4A HA 00058-01 from the HIV/AIDS Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration.

There is no charge to participating providers for this clinical training program.

Credit

The Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to sponsor continuing medical education for physicians. The Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California designates this education activity for a maximum of 32 hours in Category 1 credit toward the AMA Physician’s Recognition Award. Each physician should claim only those hours of credit that he/she actually spent in the educational activity.

For additional Information and Application:

Pacific AIDS Education and Training Center
Attention: Sandy Hume
323/442-1846
FAX: 323/442-1843