title: 'Don't forget the children' - test before it is too late.
abstract: In 2009, 'Don't forget the children' guideline recommended that all new HIV-positive patients attending adult HIV services should have any existing children identified and tested for HIV alongside a coherent documentation process. A retrospective case note review was performed on 173 HIV-positive women registered at the Royal South Hants adult HIV service until 31 January 2014. Data were assessed as a whole (n = 173) and, in addition, two comparator groups were formulated: (a) pre-guidelines (n = 108) and (b) post-guidelines (n = 65). Out of 80 children eligible for HIV testing, only 43 (54%) had clear documentation of a test result, and in the remaining 37 (46%), it was either not considered or not followed through. Documentation of need for testing increased significantly from 67% in pre-guideline group to 100% in the post-guideline group (p < 0.001). The median time from recognition of need to test to actual testing remained 24 months in both groups. Although this audit demonstrated improvement in identification of at-risk children and their testing, there is still need for improvement.
authors: 1 Department of Sexual Health, Royal Bournemouth Hospital, Bournemouth, UK.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Malik
authors: 2 Department of Genitourinary Medicine, Royal South Hants Hospital, Southampton, UK.
authors: V
authors: V
authors: White
authors: 2 Department of Genitourinary Medicine, Royal South Hants Hospital, Southampton, UK.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Sundaram
authors: 2 Department of Genitourinary Medicine, Royal South Hants Hospital, Southampton, UK.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Humphreys
authors: 2 Department of Genitourinary Medicine, Royal South Hants Hospital, Southampton, UK.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Patel
authors: 2 Department of Genitourinary Medicine, Royal South Hants Hospital, Southampton, UK.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Samraj
mesh_terms: D015492:AIDS Serodiagnosis; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004282:Documentation / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D008485:Medical Audit; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: AIDS; HIV testing; children; guideline; mother-to-child transmission; mothers; screening