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Usefulness of a Rapid Human Immunodeficiency Virus–1 Antibody Test for the Management of Occupational Exposure to Blood and Body Fluid
Formats Available in JSTOR: PDF
Abstract(back to top)
OBJECTIVE. To describe the usefulness of the OraQuick Rapid HIV‐1 Antibody Test (OraSure Technologies, Bethlehem, PA) in cases of occupational exposure regarding its use with source‐patient sera, effects on post‐exposure prophylaxis (PEP) use, potential cost savings, and effects on healthcare worker (HCW) stress reaction symptoms.
DESIGN. Before‐and‐after analysis.
SETTING. A 269‐bed, tertiary‐care medical center with adjacent clinics.
PARTICIPANTS. All source‐patients and HCWs experiencing an occupational exposure during the study period.
METHODS. Use of the OraQuick test with patient sera was validated prior to its use for occupational exposures. Exposures from January 1 through July 10, 2003 (enzyme immunoassay [EIA] group) and July 11 through December 31, 2003 (OraQuick group) were retrospectively reviewed and the use and cost of PEP was compared for each group. Randomly selected HCWs from both groups completed a survey to assess their stress reaction symptoms.
RESULTS. After exclusion, there were 71 exposures in the EIA group and 79 in the OraQuick group. OraQuick results were 100% concordant with the reference standard of EIA and Western blot using patient sera. The mean number of doses ingested per course of PEP was significantly higher for HCWs in the EIA group (3.8; range, 0 to 6) compared with the OraQuick group (1.2; range, 0 to 3; P = .016). Cost analysis revealed a mean savings of $6.62 with the OraQuick test per occupational exposure. Although the survey failed to detect an overall reduction in HCW stress reaction symptoms using OraQuick for source‐patient testing, 11 HCWs in the EIA group had repetitive thoughts of the exposure compared with 5 in the OraQuick group (P = .049).
CONCLUSION. Because of the reduction in ingested doses of unnecessary PEP and reduced cost of occupational exposure management with their use, rapid HIV‐antibody tests should be the preferred method for source‐patient testing following an occupational exposure.
Bibliographic Information(back to top)
- Usefulness of a Rapid Human Immunodeficiency Virus–1 Antibody Test for the Management of Occupational Exposure to Blood and Body Fluid
- Michael L. Landrum , MD, Clarissa H. Wilson , RN, BSN, MSA, Luci P. Perri , RN, MSN, MPH, CIC, Sandra L. Hannibal , BS, MT (ASCP) and Robert J. O’Connell , MD
- Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology
- Vol. 26, No. 9 (September 2005) (pp. 768-774)
Notes and References(back to top)
This item contains 1 note(s).
Notes
Drs. Landrum and O’Connell are from the Department of Infectious Diseases; Ms. Wilson, Ms. Perri, and Dr. O’Connell are from the Department of Infection Control; and Ms. Hannibal is from the Immunology Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas.Address reprint requests to Michael L. Landrum, MD, 759 MDOS/MMII, Wilford Hall Medical Center, 2200 Bergquist Drive, Ste. 1, Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, TX 78236. michael.landrum@lackland.af.milThe views expressed herein are the private opinions of the authors and are not to be considered as official or reflecting the views of the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Department of Defense, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.The authors thank Lt. Fairlight Reese for her assistance with performing the validation of the OraQuick testing.Presented in part at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America; October 1, 2004; Boston, MA.
Items Citing this Item (back to top)
2 item(s) in JSTOR cite this item
- Laura M. Bogart, Devery Howerton, James Lange, Kirsten Becker, Claude Messan Setodji, Steven M. AschVol. 123, No. 4 (JULY/AUGUST 2008) pp. 494-503Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25682078
- David K. Henderson , MDVol. 26, No. 9 (September 2005) pp. 739-742Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/502611