Rapid versus standard testing for prenatal HIV screening in a predominantly Hispanic population.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to examine the false positive rate of the OraQuick rapid human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) test compared with the ELISA test in pregnant patients of low socioeconomic status.


METHODS
Blood samples from pregnant patients collected between 10 February 2005 and 1 June 2005 were tested with HIV ELISA and OraQuick rapid HIV tests. The positive predictive values of both tests were calculated.


RESULTS
Of 910 patients, 14 (1.5%) patients had a positive HIV ELISA test, with only 5 patients confirmed for HIV. The positive predictive value for the ELISA test was 35.7% compared with 100% for the OraQuick rapid test.


CONCLUSIONS
In a predominantly low socioeconomic Hispanic patient population with a 0.5% HIV prevalence, false positive HIV testing is lower for the OraQuick rapid HIV test compared with the HIV ELISA test. Implementation of the rapid HIV test would mitigate the emotional distress and unnecessary intrapartum and neonatal zidovudine treatments associated with false positive HIV testing.
Tung
C S
CS
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77018, USA.
Sangi-Haghpeykar
H
H
Levison
J
J
D015492:AIDS Serodiagnosis; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D011204:Poverty Areas; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000379:methods*; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic / Q000821:virology; D012463:Saliva / Q000821:virology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D055815:Young Adult
D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic