ER testing for HIV could increase therapy

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27 (UPI) -- One in every 50 people screened for a suspected sexually transmitted infection at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit was infected with HIV, researchers said.

Henry Ford researchers said testing in the Emergency Department could diagnose new HIV infections, expand the reach of screening and help get patients into counseling and treatment programs.

"We know that people are more likely to modify risk behaviors and less likely to transmit or acquire infection if they know whether they are HIV positive or not," lead author Dr. Indira Brar said in a statement.

In the study, patients who sought treatment for STI in Henry Ford's Emergency Department from 2004-08 were screened for HIV using a rapid antibody test. The test, administered with a finger-stick for a blood sample, provides results in 20 minutes for HIV infection.

Of the 2,575 patients tested for STI, 56 were newly diagnosed with HIV, and a majority of them also tested positive for gonorrhea, chlamydia or syphilis. Patients received counseling with their results and were given access to follow-up care within three days.

The study was presented at the annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy/Infectious Diseases Society of America in Washington.