Related Experiment Videos
HIV testing in a resource-poor urban emergency department
Nancy R Glick1, Abigail Silva, Leslie Zun
1Division of Infectious Diseases, Mount Sinai Hospital, Chicago, IL 60608, USA. glin@sinai.org
Summary
Standard HIV testing in urban emergency departments (EDs) achieved over 50% consent and identified infections in 3% of high-risk patients. This approach can increase HIV status awareness and linkage to care.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Infectious Diseases
- Epidemiology
Background:
- The HIV epidemic remains a significant public health challenge, particularly in high-prevalence urban areas.
- Identifying individuals with undiagnosed HIV is crucial for effective disease management and prevention efforts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the feasibility and yield of offering standard HIV testing to patients in an urban emergency department (ED).
- To assess consent rates, HIV prevalence, and linkage to care among high-risk and symptomatic patients in an ED setting.
Main Methods:
- Standard HIV testing was offered to eligible patients in an urban ED located in a high-prevalence area.
- Data collected included consent rates, HIV infection status, and linkage to infectious disease clinic appointments.
- Analysis considered demographic and risk characteristics.
Main Results:
- Consent rates exceeded 50% across diverse demographic and risk groups.
- The overall HIV prevalence was 3%, with significant variation (0% to 50%) across different patient subgroups.
- 69% of eligible patients attended their initial infectious disease clinic appointment.
Conclusions:
- Offering HIV testing in urban emergency departments is a viable strategy to increase HIV status awareness.
- This venue can effectively identify individuals with HIV and facilitate linkage to care.
- Further implementation in underutilized settings is recommended to combat the HIV epidemic.