Evaluation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Recommendations for Hepatitis C Virus Testing in an Urban Emergency Department.

Background: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends 1-time hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing in the 1945-1965 birth cohort, in addition to targeted risk-based testing. Emergency departments (EDs) are key venues for HCV testing because of the population served and success in HIV screening. We determined the burden of undocumented HCV infection in our ED, providing guidance for implementation of ED-based HCV testing.

Improvements in the continuum of HIV care in an inner-city emergency department.

Objective: The Johns Hopkins Hospital Emergency Department has served as a window on the HIV epidemic for 25 years, and as a pioneer in emergency department-based screening/linkage-to-care (LTC) programs. We document changes in the burden of HIV and HIV care metrics to the evolving HIV epidemic in inner-city Baltimore.

Design/methods: We analyzed seven serosurveys conducted on 18 ,144 adult Johns Hopkins Hospital Emergency Department patients between 1987 and 2013 as well as our HIV-screening/LTC program (2007, 2013) for trends in HIV prevalence, cross-sectional annual incidence estimates, undiagnosed HIV, LTC, antiretrovirals treatment, and viral suppression.

Evaluation of hidden HIV infections in an urban ED with a rapid HIV screening program.

Background: To investigate the prevalence of undiagnosed HIV infections in an emergency department (ED) with an established screening program.

Methods: Evaluation of the prevalence and risk factors for HIV from an 8-week (June 24, 2007-August 18, 2007) identity-unlinked HIV serosurvey, conducted at the same time as an ongoing opt-in rapid oral-fluid HIV screening program. Testing facilitators offering 24/7 bedside rapid testing to patients aged 18 to 64 years, with concordant collection of excess sera collected as part of routine clinical procedures.

Improved performance of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and the effect of human immunodeficiency virus coinfection on the serologic detection of herpes simplex virus type 2 in Rakai, Uganda.

Ugandan subjects (820) were tested by Focus HerpeSelect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Kalon herpes simplex virus type 2 ELISA, and BioKit rapid test, and the results were compared to those of Western blotting. Higher-than-standard-index cutoff values gave optimal sensitivity and specificity. Kalon ELISA was the optimal assay when an index value of 1.