scholarly journals Are physicians aware of current HIV / AIDS diagnostic practices? A study from a tertiary centre in Turkey

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 1119-1123
Author(s):  
Elcin Akduman Alasehir ◽  
Zuhal Yesilbag ◽  
Asli Karadeniz ◽  
Gorkem Yaman

Introduction: Early diagnosis of HIV infection is essential for the reduction of morbidity/mortality rates, health expenditures and the prevention of infection spread. In this study we aimed to test the knowledge of physicians regarding HIV risk groups, AIDS indicator diseases and their current practices about screening. Methodology: A questionnaire was used to collect data from physicians working in a multidisciplinary 170-bed tertiary university hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. The questionnaire measured physician knowledge of the above-mentioned points. Results: Ninety-six physicians replied to the questionnaire. "Preoperative screening" was found to be the most common (65.6%) indication for HIV testing. A large portion of physicians (72.9%) felt comfortable with an HIV test and 71.9% of the physicians had no impeding condition for HIV testing. Physicians were mostly (67.7%) unaware of the current guidelines for HIV testing. Conclusions: Teaching programs are essential to increase knowledge of HIV screening for physicians as this is an essential part of early diagnosis and therefore important for decreasing morbidity and mortality.

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-43
Author(s):  
Masta Melati Hutahaean ◽  
Eka Ristin Tarigan

The government is starting to state housewives as the HIV protection targets, including pregnant women, considering the increasing of the risk of HIV transmission in the low risk groups including mothers and infants. Based on the Ministry of Health (2017) the percentage of pregnant women that taking an HIV test in Deli Serdang District is only around 0.33%. This study is addressed to analyze the effect of husband support with high occupational mobility and attitudes of the pregnant women towards HIV testing at Namorambe Health Center, Deli Serdang District. This type of research is an observational analytic study with a case control design. The population in this study were all pregnant women who came for their prenatal care and had received counseling for HIV testing at the Namorambe Health Center. The sample is 31 cases and 31 controls. Univariate and bivariate analysis with chi square test. The results showed that attitude (OR: 8,196; 95% CI = 2,311-29,073) influenced the participation of HIV testing while husband's support did not affect the participation of HIV testing at the Namorambe Health Center in Deli Serdang District. It is recommended for health workers to make efforts to improve the positive attitude of pregnant women to be more empowered and aware of the vulnerability of contracting HIV, especially in mothers with high husband's work mobility so that they can make the right decisions related to prevention of HIV transmission from mother to baby through HIV testing even though they have not received support from husband.


2019 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. 234-237
Author(s):  
Vyacheslav Cherenkov ◽  
A. Petrov ◽  
I. Gulkov ◽  
A. Kostyukov

Diagnosis of malignant tumors is an urgent problem of the modern world. Early diagnosis depends on General practitioners. The doctor should conduct a systematic examination of the patient regularly, taking into account the risk groups, gender and age. With mass screening, signs of dysplasia or an early focus, developing cancer can «slip away» [1]. Optimization of analysis and examination algorithms is required, which is not always possible for one person. Positive application of the digital program with elements of imaging in Oncology, we were able to create such a class of tasks for the preliminary subjective-objective survey of patients in three versions: with a widescreen screen and consoles for patients (group version up to 15 or more patients), interactive (touch) and tablet. The results of the survey are sent through the accepted channels to the doctor with recommendations for further examination, and the patient is given a coupon. The pilot program showed that the system of such robotic technologies in the future can replace the oncologist in its development to artificial intelligence at the stage of the primary link.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saskia J. Bogers ◽  
Maarten F. Schim van der Loeff ◽  
Udi Davidovich ◽  
Anders Boyd ◽  
Marc van der Valk ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Late presentation remains a key barrier towards controlling the HIV epidemic. Indicator conditions (ICs) are those that are AIDS-defining, associated with a prevalence of undiagnosed HIV > 0.1%, or whose clinical management would be impeded if an HIV infection were undiagnosed. IC-guided HIV testing is an effective strategy in identifying undiagnosed HIV, but opportunities for earlier HIV diagnosis through IC-guided testing are being missed. We present a protocol for an interventional study to improve awareness of IC-guided testing and increase HIV testing in patients presenting with ICs in a hospital setting. Methods We designed a multicentre interventional study to be implemented at five hospitals in the region of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Seven ICs were selected for which HIV test ratios (proportion of patients with an IC tested for HIV) will be measured: tuberculosis, cervical/vulvar cancer or high-grade cervical/vulvar dysplasia, malignant lymphoma, hepatitis B and C, and peripheral neuropathy. Prior to the intervention, a baseline assessment of HIV test ratios across ICs will be performed in eligible patients (IC diagnosed January 2015 through May 2020, ≥18 years, not known HIV positive) and an assessment of barriers and facilitators for HIV testing amongst relevant specialties will be conducted using qualitative (interviews) and quantitative methods (questionnaires). The intervention phase will consist of an educational intervention, including presentation of baseline results as competitive graphical audit and feedback combined with discussion on implementation and opportunities for improvement. The effect of the intervention will be assessed by comparing HIV test ratios of the pre-intervention and post-intervention periods. The primary endpoint is the HIV test ratio within ±3 months of IC diagnosis. Secondary endpoints are the HIV test ratio within ±6 months of diagnosis, ratio ever tested for HIV, HIV positivity percentage, proportion of late presenters and proportion with known HIV status prior to initiating treatment for their IC. Discussion This protocol presents a strategy aimed at increasing awareness of the benefits of IC-guided testing and increasing HIV testing in patients presenting with ICs in hospital settings to identify undiagnosed HIV in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Trial registration Dutch trial registry: NL7521. Registered 14 February 2019.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 2627
Author(s):  
Pierre-Edouard Fournier ◽  
Sophie Edouard ◽  
Nathalie Wurtz ◽  
Justine Raclot ◽  
Marion Bechet ◽  
...  

The Méditerranée Infection University Hospital Institute (IHU) is located in a recent building, which includes experts on a wide range of infectious disease. The IHU strategy is to develop innovative tools, including epidemiological monitoring, point-of-care laboratories, and the ability to mass screen the population. In this study, we review the strategy and guidelines proposed by the IHU and its application to the COVID-19 pandemic and summarise the various challenges it raises. Early diagnosis enables contagious patients to be isolated and treatment to be initiated at an early stage to reduce the microbial load and contagiousness. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to deal with a shortage of personal protective equipment and reagents and a massive influx of patients. Between 27 January 2020 and 5 January 2021, 434,925 nasopharyngeal samples were tested for the presence of SARS-CoV-2. Of them, 12,055 patients with COVID-19 were followed up in our out-patient clinic, and 1888 patients were hospitalised in the Institute. By constantly adapting our strategy to the ongoing situation, the IHU has succeeded in expanding and upgrading its equipment and improving circuits and flows to better manage infected patients.


2021 ◽  
pp. 095646242110150
Author(s):  
Doreen Nabukalu ◽  
Matthew Ponticiello ◽  
Thomas Bennett ◽  
Sunday Clark ◽  
Rachel King ◽  
...  

Uptake of HIV testing is suboptimal in Uganda, particularly in rural communities. Reaching UNAIDS 95-95-95 goals requires strategies to increase HIV testing among hard-to-reach populations. This cross-sectional study sought to characterize engagement with HIV testing among traditional healers and their clients in rural Uganda. We enrolled 175 traditional healers and 392 adult clients of healers in Mbarara District. The primary outcome for this study was having received an HIV test in the prior 12 months. Most clients ( n = 236, 65.9%) had received an HIV test within 12 months, compared to less than half of healers ( n = 75, 46.3%) who had not. In multivariate regression models, male clients of healers were half as likely to have tested in the past year, compared with female (adjusted odds ratios (AORs) = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.26–0.70). Increasing age negatively predicted testing within the past year (AOR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.93–0.97) for clients. Among healers, more sexual partners predicted knowing ones serostatus (AOR = 1.6, 95% CI 1.03–2.48). Healers (AOR = 1.16, 95% CI 1.07–1.26) and clients (AOR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.13–1.34 for clients) with greater numbers of lifetime HIV tests were more likely to have tested in the past year. Traditional healers and their clients lag behind UNAIDS benchmarks and would benefit from programs to increase HIV testing uptake.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S590-S590
Author(s):  
Lorena Guerrero-Torres ◽  
Isaac Núñez-Saavedra ◽  
Yanink Caro-Vega ◽  
Brenda Crabtree-Ramírez

Abstract Background Among 230,000 people living with HIV in Mexico, 24% are unaware of their diagnosis, and half of newly diagnosed individuals are diagnosed with advanced disease. Early diagnosis is the goal to mitigate HIV epidemic. Missed opportunities may reflect a lack of clinicians’ consideration of HIV screening as part of routine medical care. We assessed whether an educational intervention on residents was effective to 1) improve the knowledge on HIV screening; 2) increase the rate of HIV tests requested in the hospitalization floor (HF) and the emergency department (ED); and 3) increase HIV diagnosis in HF and ED. Methods Internal Medicine and Surgery residents at a teaching hospital were invited to participate. The intervention occurred in August 2018 and consisted in 2 sessions on HIV screening with an expert. A questionnaire was applied before (BQ) and after (AQ) the intervention, which included HIV screening indications and clinical cases. The Institutional Review Board approved this study. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants. BQ and AQ scores were compared with a paired t-test. To evaluate the effect on HIV test rate in the HF and ED, an interrupted time series analysis was performed. Daily rates of tests were obtained from September 2016 to August 2019 and plotted along time. Restricted cubic splines (RCS) were used to model temporal trends. HIV diagnosis in HF and ED pre- and post-intervention were compared with a Fisher’s exact test. A p< 0.05 was considered significant. Results Among 104 residents, 57 participated and completed both questionnaires. BQ score was 79/100 (SD±12) and AQ was 85/100 (SD±8), p< .004. Time series of HIV testing had apparent temporal trends (Fig 1). HIV test rate in the HF increased (7.3 vs 11.1 per 100 episodes) and decreased in the ED (2.6 vs 2.3 per 100 episodes). HIV diagnosis increased in the HF, from 0/1079 (0%) pre-intervention to 5/894 (0.6%) post-intervention (p< .018) (Table 1). Fig 1. HIV test rates. Gray area represents post-intervention period. Table 1. Description of episodes, HIV tests and rates pre- and post-intervention in the Emergency Department and Hospitalization Floor. Conclusion A feasible educational intervention improved residents’ knowledge on HIV screening, achieved maintenance of a constant rate of HIV testing in the HF and increased the number of HIV diagnosis in the HF. However, these results were not observed in the ED, where administrative barriers and work overload could hinder HIV screening. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Wei Ang ◽  
Carmen Low ◽  
Chen Seong Wong ◽  
Irving Charles Boudville ◽  
Matthias Paul Han Sim Toh ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundEarly diagnosis is crucial in securing optimal outcomes in the HIV care cascade. Recent HIV infection (RHI) serves as an indicator of early detection in the course of HIV infection. Surveillance of RHI is important in uncovering at-risk groups in which HIV transmission is ongoing. The study objectives are to estimate the proportion of RHI among persons newly-diagnosed in 2013–2017, and to elucidate epidemiological factors associated with RHI in Singapore.MethodsAs part of the National HIV Molecular Surveillance Programme, residual plasma samples of treatment-naïve HIV-1 positive individuals were tested using the biotinylated peptide-capture enzyme immunoassay with a cutoff of normalized optical density ≤ 0.8 for evidence of RHI. A recent infection testing algorithm was applied for the classification of RHI. We identified risk factors associated with RHI using logistic regression analyses.ResultsA total of 701 newly-diagnosed HIV-infected persons were included in the study. The median age at HIV diagnosis was 38 years (interquartile range, 28–51). The majority were men (94.2%), and sexual route was the predominant mode of HIV transmission (98.3%). Overall, 133/701 (19.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] 16.2–22.0%) were classified as RHI. The proportions of RHI in 2015 (31.1%) and 2017 (31.0%) were significantly higher than in 2014 (11.2%). A significantly higher proportion of men having sex with men (23.4, 95% CI 19.6–27.6%) had RHI compared with heterosexual men (11.1, 95% CI 7.6–15.9%). Independent factors associated with RHI were: age 15–24 years (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 4.18, 95% CI 1.69–10.31) compared with ≥55 years; HIV diagnosis in 2015 (aOR 2.36, 95% CI 1.25–4.46) and 2017 (aOR 2.52, 95% CI 1.32–4.80) compared with 2013–2014; detection via voluntary testing (aOR 1.91, 95% CI 1.07–3.43) compared with medical care; and self-reported history of HIV test(s) prior to diagnosis (aOR 1.72, 95% CI 1.06–2.81).ConclusionAlthough there appears to be an increasing trend towards early diagnosis, persons with RHI remain a minority in Singapore. The strong associations observed between modifiable behaviors (voluntary testing and HIV testing history) and RHI highlight the importance of increasing the accessibility to HIV testing for at-risk groups.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (14) ◽  
pp. 3059
Author(s):  
Petros Ioannou ◽  
Symeon Panagiotakis ◽  
Emmanouela Tsagkaraki ◽  
Constantinos Tsioutis ◽  
Konstantinos Fragkiadakis ◽  
...  

Hyponatremia is the most common electrolyte disorder, commonly affecting older hospitalized individuals; however, the literature is not clear regarding its effect on mortality. The aim of this 2-year observational prospective cohort study was to evaluate the mortality and re-admission rates, the clinical and laboratory characteristics and the causes of hyponatremia in patients older than 65 years admitted with a corrected serum sodium of 130 mEq/L or less in an internal medicine ward of a tertiary Greek university hospital. During the observation period, 138 patients (mean age 80.5 years, 36.2% male) fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were prospectively followed for 1 year after admission. Symptoms of hyponatremia were present in 59.4% of patients. Hypovolemia was the main sole cause of hyponatremia, but in about one third of patients, hyponatremia was multifactorial. Only a low proportion of patients (12.3%) fulfilled the criteria of the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuresis (SIAD) at admission according to the current guidelines. The re-admission rates at 3- and 12-months following discharge was 34.2% and 51.8%, respectively. Mortality during hospitalization was 17.4% and was higher compared to non-hyponatremic admitted older patients, while the total mortality at 1 year after admission was 28.3%, indicating that hyponatremia at admission is a marker of significant mortality during and after hospitalization in elderly patients.


2017 ◽  
Vol 94 (3) ◽  
pp. 194-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Blain Johnston ◽  
Joss N Reimer ◽  
John L Wylie ◽  
Jared Bullard

ObjectivesHIV point-of-care testing (POCT) has been available in Manitoba since 2008. This study evaluated the effectiveness of POCT at identifying individuals with previously unknown HIV status, its effects on clinical outcomes and the characteristics of the populations reached.MethodsA retrospective database review was conducted for individuals who received HIV POCT from 2011 to 2014. Time to linkage to care and viral load suppression were compared between individuals who tested positive for HIV using POCT and controls identified as positive through standard screening. Testing outcomes for labouring women with undocumented HIV status accessing POCT during labour were also assessed.Results3204 individuals received POCT (1055 females (32.9%) and 2149 males (67.1%)), being the first recorded HIV test for 2205 (68.8%). Males were more likely to be targeted with POCT as their first recorded HIV test (adjusted OR (AOR) 1.40). Between the two main test sites (Main Street Project (MSP) and Nine Circles Community Health Centre), MSP tested relatively fewer males (AOR 0.79) but a higher proportion of members of all age groups over 30 years old (AOR 1.83, 2.51 and 3.64 for age groups 30–39, 40–49 and >50, respectively). There was no difference in time to linkage to care (p=0.345) or viral load suppression (p=0.405) between the POCT and standard screening cohorts. Of 215 women presenting in labour with unknown HIV status, one was identified as HIV positive.ConclusionsPOCT in Manitoba has been successful at identifying individuals with previously unknown HIV-positive status. Demographic differences between the two main testing sites support that this intervention is reaching unique populations. Given that we observed no significant difference in time to clinical outcomes, it is reasonable to continue using POCT as a targeted intervention.MeSH termsHIV infection; rapid HIV testing; vertical infectious disease transmission; community outreach; service delivery; marginalised populations.


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