Diagnostics

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Routine Hepatitis C Testing at Federally Qualified Health Centers Would Be Cost-Effective

Routine hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing at federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) would be cost-effective and could improve outcomes for people with HCV infections.

Novel Immunoassay Demonstrates Predictive Utility in PrEP Adherence, HIV Protection

By

Zahra Masoud

A novel tenofovir urine immunoassay demonstrated predictive utility and may adequately determine PrEP adherence.

Efficacy of Bundled HIV, HCV Testing for People With Substance Abuse Disorders Examined

By

Bradley van Paridon

By providing bundled HIV and HCV testing, substance use disorder treatment programs may create increased awareness of infection status among people with substance abuse disorders.

Research Needed to Establish Diagnostic Chest CT Criteria for COVID-19

By

Sweta Gupta

A team of researchers performed a systematic review to assess the methodologic quality of studies on the use of chest computed tomographic (CT) imaging in patients with COVID-19 and to determine the frequency of different chest CT findings.

Evidence Poor for Accuracy of Serological Tests for COVID-19

Existing evidence on the diagnostic accuracy of serological tests for COVID-19 is characterized by high risks of bias and heterogeneity.

Variation in Assays that Identify Early HIV Antibody Seroconversion

By

Zahra Masoud

A study evaluated 5 commercially available assays that are approved for HIV seropositivity confirmation and could be readily performed in clinical laboratories.

Validated Statistical Model Created to Predict the Risk of a Positive COVID-19 Test

By

Sweta Gupta

A team of investigators from the Cleveland Clinic developed a prospective registry of all patients tested for COVID-19 in their health system that was used to validate a model to predict the risk of an individual having a positive COVID-19 test result.

CDC: HIV Testing Occurs at <1% of Physician Visits

HIV testing occurs at less than 1 percent of physician office and emergency department visits and at less than 3 percent of community health center (CHC) visits.

Comparison of Commercial ELISA and Rapid Tests for Diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2

By

Zahra Masoud

A team of investigators compared the sensitivity and specificity of 4 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and 2 rapid tests in patients with symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Improved Algorithms Needed to Identify Intravenous Drug Use-Associated Endocarditis

By

Bradley van Paridon

A team of investigators reviewed data from institutions within the VA healthcare system to assess the ability of 2 algorithms to identify patients with intravenous drug use-associated infective endocarditis.

Initial Presentation Not Associated With Pathogen in Infectious Encephalitis

By

Bradley van Paridon

A team of French investigators sought to identify factors that could be considered predictive of the etiology of infectious encephalitis.

Specificities and Sensitivities of OSA Screening Tools for People With HIV

By

Natasha Priya Dyal, MD

In terms of screening for obstructive sleep apnea in people living with HIV, the STOP-BANG questionnaire had good sensitivity, whereas the Berlin questionnaire and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale demonstrated good specificity.

Evaluation of Pooled Sample COVID-19 RT-qPCR Tests

By

Bradley van Paridon

A new pooling method for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic testing that uses standard protocols, reagents and equipment can be applied immediately in current clinical testing laboratories.

STI Testing and Prevention Services Trends Among Men

By

Zahra Masoud

Men who have sex with men are more likely to receive the recommended sexually transmitted infection testing and prevention services at Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program-funded facilities.

Elevated Level of C Reactive Protein May Predict Risk for Worsening COVID-19

By

Sweta Gupta

Higher levels of C reactive protein (CRP) may be a predictive marker in determining which patients with mild coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) will progress to a severe case.

Brucella-Associated Endocarditis in People who Inject Drugs

By

Zahra Masoud

Two cases of endocarditis as a result of Brucella have been reported in people who inject drugs without zoonotic exposure.

Strong Inverse Correlation Between SARS-CoV-2 Infectivity and Cycle Threshold Value

By

Sweta Gupta

Correlation between successful isolation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in cell culture and cycle threshold (Ct) value may inform when patients can be safely discharged.

USPSTF Recommends Hep B Screening for Those at Increased Risk

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends screening adolescents and adults at increased risk for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.

Dyspnea May Be Key to Distinguishing COVID-19 From Other Common Illnesses

By

Sweta Gupta

Onset of dyspnea, particularly with precipitous drops in oxygen saturation especially with exertion, can help clinicians to more easily distinguish coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from other common and treatable illnesses.

Men With HIV Are Not Receiving STD Testing, Prevention Services

Many sexually active men who have sex with men (MSM) do not receive recommended prevention services and sexually transmitted disease (STD) testing when receiving care for HIV infection.