HIV Infection Rates in Emergency Department Patients
Author Information
Author(s): Devi Pushpa Arora, Usha Yadav, Shalini Malhotra, Sita
Primary Institution: Government Medical College & Hospital, Amritsar, Punjab
Hypothesis
Can emergency departments effectively identify HIV infections among patients?
Conclusion
The study found that 5.75% of patients in emergency departments were HIV reactive, with many unaware of their status.
Supporting Evidence
- 5.75% of the 400 patients tested were HIV reactive.
- 65.22% of HIV-reactive patients were unaware of their infection.
- Majority of HIV-reactive patients were from the Medicine emergency department.
- Statistically significant differences in HIV incidence were found among different age groups.
- 62.5% of truck drivers tested positive for HIV.
Takeaway
This study shows that many people who go to the emergency room might have HIV and not know it, so testing everyone could help catch it early.
Methodology
The study screened 400 patients for HIV antibodies using three rapid tests and analyzed the results statistically.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the self-reported history of risk factors among patients.
Limitations
The study was limited to a single tertiary care hospital and may not represent all emergency departments.
Participant Demographics
Participants included both males and females, with a majority under 40 years old.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website