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HIV prevalence in a midwestern emergency department
1Department of Emergency Medicine, Ramsey Clinic, St Paul, Minnesota.
Annals of Emergency Medicine
|March 1, 1991
Summary
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seropositivity was found in 1.32% of emergency department patients aged 15 and older. Male sex and homosexual preference were the only significant risk factors identified for HIV infection.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Emergency departments (EDs) serve diverse patient populations, presenting opportunities for disease surveillance.
- Understanding the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is crucial for targeted public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To ascertain the prevalence of HIV seropositivity among patients aged 15 years and older presenting to an emergency department.
- To identify demographic and behavioral factors associated with HIV seropositivity in this population.
Main Methods:
- Anonymous HIV testing was performed on excess serum samples from 454 randomly selected patients aged 15+ undergoing venipuncture.
- Seroprevalence rates and 95% confidence intervals were calculated.
- Fisher's exact test was used to assess associations between HIV status and 20 demographic/predictor variables.
Main Results:
- Six of 454 (1.32%) serum samples tested positive for HIV, with a 95% confidence interval of 0.27% to 2.37%.
- All HIV-positive individuals were male.
- Statistically significant associations with HIV seropositivity were observed for male sex (P = .00112) and male homosexual preference (P = .0000).
Conclusions:
- The prevalence of HIV seropositivity in the ED population over 15 years of age is 1.32%.
- Male sex and male homosexual preference are the primary correlates of HIV seropositivity in this demographic.