Managing the HIV-Infected Adult Patient in the Emergency Department

Points & Pearls Excerpt

• Approximately 80% of new HIV transmissions were from persons who did not yet know they had HIV or were not receiving regular care.¹
• Following HIV infection, 75%-90% of patients experience acute illness (acute retroviral syndrome or seroconversion) with typical viral syndromes, which may lead them to seek ED treatment.
• The CDC recommends routine non–risk-based opt-out HIV screening for all patients aged 13 to 64 who present to healthcare settings where the undiagnosed prevalence is ≥0.1%.⁸
• First-line ED testing for HIV is the fourth-generation test that detects HIV antibodies and p24 antigens; these can often identify infection within 2 weeks of exposure.