Opt-out bloodborne virus screening: a cross-sectional observational study in an acute medical unit.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Recent treatment developments for HIV, hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) have greatly improved prognoses. Current screening practices are mainly risk based and are suboptimal. Improved efforts are critically needed to identify persons with these viruses. The aims of this study were to assess the feasibility of an opt-out bloodborne virus (BBV) screening programme in an acute medical unit (AMU) and to describe the prevalence of HIV, HBV and HCV in this population.

Design and setting

This was a cross-sectional observational study in the AMU of a tertiary referral hospital in Galway, a city in the west of Ireland.

Participants

1936 patients entered the study; 54% were male, mean age was 53.1 years (SD 19.6). During the study period, all patien

SUBMITTER: Allen N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6661585 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature