Journal of clinical virology : the official publication of the Pan American Society for Clinical Virology
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Comparative Study
Relative accuracy of serum, whole blood, and oral fluid HIV tests among Seattle men who have sex with men.
Point-of-care (POC) rapid HIV tests have sensitivity during the "window period" comparable only to earliest generation EIAs. To date, it is unclear whether any POC test performs significantly better than others. ⋯ These data confirm that oral fluid POC testing detects fewer infections than other methods and is best reserved for circumstances precluding fingerstick or venipuncture. Regardless of specimen type, POC tests failed to identify many HIV-infected MSM in Seattle. In populations with high HIV incidence, the currently approved POC antibody tests are inadequate unless supplemented with p24 antigen tests or NAAT.
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In 2002, the sero-prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV) in the Emergency Department (ED), University Hospital, Newark, New Jersey was 10.4%. Both HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are transmitted by injection drug use (IDU) or sexual contact. However, the degree of concurrent positive HCV antibody status in HIV-infected ED patients is unknown. ⋯ Given the high prevalence of HIV and HIVHCV antibody in the ED, routine testing is important for patients ≥ 45 years with positive urine toxicology and elevated liver function tests.