Barriers to targeted HIV testing on an acute admissions unit: evaluation of the UK guideline

摘要

Background: One-quarter of people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the UK are unaware of their infection, leading to late presentation with consequent increased morbidity and mortality, as well as ongoing transmission of infection. Recent UK guidelines advise HIV testing of patients with ‘indicator diseases’ in secondary care. There are limited seroprevalence data to support this recommendation, and acute medical settings present operational difficulties that may limit its feasibility.