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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
medicine
Routine offering of HIV testing to hospitalized pediatric patients at university teaching hospital, Lusaka, Zambia: Acceptability and feasibility
Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, Volume 51, No. 2, Year 2009
Notification
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Description
OBJECTIVES: The difficulties diagnosing infants and children with HIV infection have been cited as barriers to increasing the number of children receiving antiretroviral therapy worldwide. DESIGN: We implemented routine HIV antibody counseling and testing for pediatric patients hospitalized at the University Teaching Hospital, a national reference center, in Lusaka, Zambia. We also introduced HIV DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for early infant diagnosis. METHODS: Caregivers/parents of children admitted to the hospital wards were routinely offered HIV counseling and testing for their children. HIV antibody positive (HIV+) children <18 months of age were tested with PCR for HIV DNA. RESULTS: From January 1, 2006, to June 30, 2007, among 15,670 children with unknown HIV status, 13,239 (84.5%) received counseling and 11,571 (87.4%) of those counseled were tested. Overall, 3373 (29.2%) of those tested were seropositive. Seropositivity was associated with younger age: 69.6% of those testing HIV antibody positive were <18 months of age. The proportion of counseled children who were tested increased each quarter from 76.0% in January to March 2006 to 88.2% in April to June 2007 (P < 0.001). From April 2006 to June 2007, 1276 PCR tests were done; 806 (63.2%) were positive. The rate of PCR positivity increased with age from 22% in children <6 weeks of age to 61% at 3-6 months and to 85% at 12-18 months (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Routine counseling and antibody testing of pediatric inpatients can identify large numbers of HIV-seropositive children in high prevalence settings. The high rate of HIV infection in hospitalized infants and young children also underscores the urgent need for early infant diagnostic capacity in high prevalence settings. © 2009 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Authors & Co-Authors
Kankasa, Chipepo
Unknown Affiliation
Carter, Rosalind J.
Unknown Affiliation
Briggs, Nancy
Unknown Affiliation
Bulterys, Marc G.
Unknown Affiliation
Chama, Eslone
Unknown Affiliation
Cooper, Ellen Rae
Unknown Affiliation
Costa, Cristiane
Unknown Affiliation
Spielman, Erica
Unknown Affiliation
Katepa-Bwalya, Mary
Unknown Affiliation
M'Soka, Tendai
Unknown Affiliation
Chola, Katai
Unknown Affiliation
Ou, Chin Yih
Unknown Affiliation
Abrams, Elaine J.
Unknown Affiliation
Statistics
Citations: 100
Authors: 13
Affiliations: 6
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1097/QAI.0b013e31819c173f
ISSN:
15254135
Research Areas
Genetics And Genomics
Health System And Policy
Infectious Diseases
Maternal And Child Health
Study Design
Cross Sectional Study
Study Locations
Zambia