Significant Patient Impact Observed Upon Implementation of Point-of-Care Early Infant Diagnosis Technologies in an Observational Study in Malawi.

ABSTRACT: Background:In Malawi in 2014, <20% of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-exposed infants received an early infant diagnosis (EID) test in the first 2 months of life and only 30% of HIV-infected children were on antiretroviral therapy (ART). We sought to understand the potential patient impact of improving timely infant diagnosis and treatment initiation through implementation of point-of-care (POC) EID technologies in Malawi. Methods:In this observational study, POC EID technologies were introduced into routine services at 7 health facilities across Malawi in September 2015. The primary outcome was the proportion of HIV-infected infants initiating ART within 60 days of sample collection in the POC arm compared to the baseline arm with conventional laboratory-based EID testing. Results:The

SUBMITTER: Mwenda R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6093992 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature