title: Prevalence of asymptomatic bacterial sexually transmitted infections in hospitalized HIV patients in Baltimore City.
abstract: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are known to promote the transmission of HIV. Diagnosing these infections can identify patients engaging in high-risk behaviors and provides an opportunity for intervention and education. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends STI screening as part of routine HIV care. Ninety HIV-infected inpatients admitted to the University of Maryland Hospital were screened for gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis. None of the nucleic acid amplification probes were positive for gonorrhea, and 1 was positive for chlamydia. A total of 8 rapid plasma reagin (RPR) tests were positive, 2 of which are believed to be associated with new infection or treatment failure. Rapid plasma reagin positivity was found to be associated with men who have sex with men (MSM), low CD4 count, and high HIV viral load. Routine inpatient screening for asymptomatic STIs in HIV-infected patients may be beneficial, particularly patients not engaged in routine outpatient care.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Aimee
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hodowanec
authors.forename: Seema
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nayak
authors.forename: Manhattan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Charurat
authors.forename: Leroy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vaughan
authors.forename: Mettassebia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kanno
authors.forename: Lori
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fantry
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D058345:Asymptomatic Infections; D015142:Baltimore; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D060085:Coinfection; D005260:Female; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D011935:Reagins / Q000097:blood; D013587:Syphilis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D011935:Reagins