Office-based testing for antibody to human immunodeficiency virus in urology patients

Knowledge of the status of a patient regarding antibody to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) may be important in many clinical situations. Consequently, we evaluated a rapid test for antibody to HIV-1 peptides that might be suitable for a physician office practice. We evaluated the time necessary to learn to do the test, and test performance using a reference panel and a seroconversion panel as well as 200 clinical specimens. Personnel who were previously unfamiliar with immunoassays learned the test procedure within 30 minutes. All reference specimens were interpreted correctly. One clinical sample reacted in the test but the result was not confirmed by Western blot. The rapid, peptide-based test was easy to use and performance was comparable to currently licensed tests performed at clinical laboratories.