![Rapid HIV Tests Underperform in Children]()
Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) to determine the HIV status of children in the African country of Malawi are not always accurate, according to a paper published online on December 6 in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. The study involved 341 hospitalized children, aged two months to 16 years old, whose two positive RDTs meant they had tested positive for HIV infection according to hospital guidelines; the children were later retested using standard blood tests for detecting viral loads. A significant percentage of children had false-positive results on the RDTs, meaning the tests incorrectly indicated that they were infected with HIV. Such inaccurate test results put children at risk for lifelong misdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment with antiretroviral therapy. The paper’s lead author was Theresa F. Madaline, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at Einstein and Montefiore.
Posted on: Monday, January 29, 2018