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Updated: Jun 1, 2025
Rapid Screening of HIV Reverse Transcriptase and Integrase Inhibitors
Published on: April 9, 2014
[Acceptability and screening outcomes for hepatitis B, C and human inmunodeficiency virus using rapid diagnostic
Ana Muñoz1, Alberto Espino1, Alejandro Soza1
1Departamento de Gastroenterología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Insights
Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for HIV, HBV, and HCV show high acceptance in endoscopy settings. This approach offers a valuable opportunity for systematic detection of infections among patients.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Global burden of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infections.
- Low awareness of infection status for HBV and HCV, and incomplete diagnosis for HIV.
- Challenges in developing accessible screening strategies for these viral infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the utilization and acceptance of two rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for HIV, HBV, and HCV.
- To evaluate RDT performance in patients undergoing endoscopic procedures.
- To determine the refusal rate for RDT screening in this patient population.
Main Methods:
- Observational, cross-sectional pilot study design.
- Enrollment of adult patients undergoing outpatient endoscopic examination at two centers.
- Administration of Montebio and HCV/HBsAg/HIV Rapid Tests following counseling and informed consent.
Main Results:
- High acceptance rate of 96% (358/375 patients) for RDT screening.
- A low refusal rate of 4.2% (17/375 patients), with a significantly higher rate in males (8.8%) vs. females (2.7%).
- One case (0.27%) tested positive for HCV; no positive results for HBV or HIV were detected.
Conclusions:
- Endoscopy units provide a viable setting for implementing RDTs for systematic viral infection detection.
- RDTs demonstrate high patient acceptance in this clinical environment.
- This strategy offers a promising avenue for increasing diagnosis rates of HIV, HBV, and HCV.
Introduction:
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections are a global public health concern. In 2019, there were 295.9 million people with chronic hepatitis B and 57.8 million with HCV, and less than 20% were aware of their status. In 2017, there were 37 million people with HIV, and 75% were diagnosed. Creating accessible screening strategies remains a challenge. The use of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) is a cost-effective and simple option. The endoscopy unit is an ideal setting due to its high patient flow and qualified personnel.
Objective:
To evaluate the use and acceptance of two RDTs for detecting HIV, HBV, and HCV in patients undergoing endoscopic examination and to determine the percentage of refusal to undergo testing.
Materials And Methods:
An observational cross-sectional pilot study was conducted. Adults entering two Endoscopy Centers in Santiago were enrolled for outpatient endoscopic examination and were administered two RDTs: Montebio and HCV/HBsAg/HIV Rapid Test after counseling and informed consent.
Results:
358 out of 375 patients (96%) accepted the test. 79% were female. The average age was 50±17 years. One subject tested positive for HCV in both tests (0.27%). There were no positive results for HBV/HIV. 17 patients (4.2%) declined the test. The refusal rate by gender was 8.8% (male) vs. 2.7% (female) (p=0.009). The overall experience was positive, and 98% would recommend the process.
Conclusions:
The use of RDTs in endoscopy represents an opportunity for systematic detection of infected patients with a high level of acceptance.
