Testing for HIV: current practices in the academic ED. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1999. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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Testing for HIV: current practices in the academic ED.

Am J Emerg Med. 1999 Jul;17(4):354-6. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/99379501
Wilson SR; Mitchell C; Bradbury DR; Chavez J; Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine,; University of California, Davis, Sacramento, USA.

Abstract: The objective of this study was to determine common practices for testing for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), particularly in patients with other sexually transmitted diseases (STD) in emergency departments (ED) with residency training in Emergency Medicine. Via mail, 112 directors of academic emergency medicine programs in the United States were surveyed. Surveys from 95 academic institutions were completed, returned, and included in the analysis. Three EDs (3%) routinely tested for HIV in patients with suspected STD. HIV testing was performed in the ED in 54% of responding institutions under special circumstances such as employee testing after occupational exposures (54%), cases of rape (46%), and suspicion of HIV infection by clinical manifestations other than suspected STD (36%). Based on the results it was determined that academic EDs do not routinely test for HIV in patients suspected of having a STD and have variable testing practices and policies regarding other possible HIV exposures.
Keywords: JOURNAL ARTICLE Academic Medical Centers/ORGANIZATION & ADMIN *AIDS Serodiagnosis Emergency Medicine/*EDUCATION Emergency Service, Hospital/ORGANIZATION & ADMIN Health Personnel Health Policy Hospitals, Teaching/ORGANIZATION & ADMIN Human *Internship and Residency Occupational Exposure *Physician's Practice Patterns Practice Guidelines Questionnaires Rape Sexually Transmitted Diseases/DIAGNOSIS United StatesKWDjournalarticleacademicmedicalcenters/organization&adminKWDaidsserodiagnosisemergencymedicine/KWDeducationemergencyservice,hospital/organization&adminhealthpersonnelhealthpolicyhospitals,teaching/organization&adminhumanKWDinternshipandresidencyoccupationalexposureKWDphysician'spracticepatternspracticeguidelinesquestionnairesrapesexuallytransmitteddiseases/diagnosisunitedstates
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