Rapid HIV diagnostic test in undocumented pregnant women applied at an inner-city teaching hospital

Abstract

SUMMARYA significant number of Brazilian gestational-age women are still not tested for HIV, representing a high risk of transmission to their newborns. The current study sought to identify the number of pregnant women with no previous testing or undocumented for HIV referred to the Gynecology and Obstetrics Department of a Regional Teaching Hospital and included diagnosis of HIV infection determined by a rapid test and perinatal transmission in pregnancy. Medical records of all pregnant women admitted to hospital from January 2001 to December 2005 were reviewed. Pregnant women without HIV results were submitted to a rapid HIV test. Those who tested positive were further tested by ELISA and confirmed by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IIA) or Western blot (WB). The viral load from babies born to HIV-infected mothers was assessed by bDNA. Of the 16,424 pregnant women analyzed (6.6%), 1,089 were undocumented for HIV. Eleven women were positive in rapid testing and 10 were confirmed by ELISA, IIA or WB, with 0.9% seropositivity. Mother/infant pairs received zidovudine monotherapy prophylaxis and infant viral load was lower than 50 copies/mL. A higher number of pregnant women previously tested for HIV during antenatal care was verified, compared to that obtained nationwide.

HIV-1-mother-to-child transmission and associated characteristics in a public maternity unit in Presidente Prudente, Brazil

“…In children, vertical transmission is the main form of infection and can occur during late pregnancy, during delivery or post-partum through breastfeeding (ORNE- GLIEMANN et al, 2008). Brazil was one of the first developing countries to implement measures to prevent mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV-1, resulting in a decrease in vertical transmission rates (PN-DST/ AIDS, 2006; AMARAL et al, 2007; PRESTES- CARNEIRO et al, 2009). There are limited data addressing the prevalence and risk factors of MTCT in the western region of the São Paulo State (GONÇALVES et al, 2011).…”

Vertical transmission of HIV-1 in the western region of the State of São Paulo

“…A nationwide program of rapid HIV testing was one of the main strategies introduced by the Brazilian STD/AIDS program to reduce the risk of MTCT 5,22 . In the region of the DRS XI, in a regional teaching hospital, a rapid HIV-1 diagnostic test applied to pregnant women who had not been previously tested was one of the strategies applied to reduce MTCT 13 .…”