Opt-Out Syphilis Screening at an Urgent Care Center in Atlanta: Evaluation of a Pilot Program.

BACKGROUND: HIV and syphilis disproportionately impact communities with low access to primary care, who often utilize urgent care centers (UCC) for sexual healthcare. UCC visits represent an opportunity for identification and treatment of syphilis and linkage to HIV testing and prevention services. We describe a universal, opt-out syphilis screening program pilot at an Atlanta UCC. METHODS: A chart review was performed on patients 18 years and older who were offered opt-out syphilis screening and had a rapid plasma reagin (RPR) test collected from 9/1/21 to 12/31/21. Demographic data, syphilis stage and treatment, and HIV testing and serostatus were abstracted from the electronic health record. Patients with reactive RPRs were contacted by a study physician for syphilis staging and treatment, counseling, and referral for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) or treatment. RESULTS: From 9/1/21 to 12/31/21, 5794 patients were triaged and 1381 underwent RPR screening (23.8%). Eighty (5.8%) had reactive RPRs, and 42 (52.5%) had active syphilis. Of those with active syphilis, 39 (92.9%) received any treatment, and 35 (83.3%) completed treatment. Patients with late syphilis were less likely to complete syphilis treatment (aOR 0.03, p = 0.009, 95% CI 0.002-0.42). Among 955 offered PrEP, 41 (4.3%) expressed interest in PrEP, and 7 (0.7%) completed PrEP clinic intake. Univariate analysis did not identify any factors associated with interest in PrEP. CONCLUSIONS: In a UCC setting, routine, opt-out syphilis testing resulted in increased syphilis identification and treatment. It also provided an opportunity for PrEP counseling and referral, although few patients completed PrEP clinic intake.

HIV and Chagas Disease: An Evaluation of the Use of Real-Time Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction to Measure Levels of Trypanosoma cruzi Parasitemia in HIV Patients in Cochabamba, Bolivia.

This cross-sectional study evaluated epidemiologic characteristics of persons living with HIV (PWH) coinfected with Trypanosoma cruzi in Cochabamba, Bolivia, and estimated T. cruzi parasitemia by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in patients with and without evidence of reactivation by direct microscopy. Thirty-two of the 116 HIV patients evaluated had positive serology for T. cruzi indicative of chronic Chagas disease (27.6%). Sixteen of the 32 (50%) patients with positive serology were positive by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and four of the 32 (12.5%) were positive by direct microscopy. The median parasite load by qPCR in those with CD4+ < 200 was 168 parasites/mL (73-9951) compared with 28.5 parasites/mL (15-1,528) in those with CD4+ ≥ 200 (P = 0.89). There was a significant inverse relationship between the degree of parasitemia estimated by qPCR from blood clot and CD4+ count on the logarithmic scale (rsBC= -0.70, P = 0.007). The correlation between T. cruzi estimated by qPCR+ blood clot and HIV viral load was statistically significant with rsBC = 0.61, P = 0.047. Given the significant mortality of PWH and Chagas reactivation and that 57% of our patients with CD4+ counts < 200 cells/mm3 showed evidence of reactivation, we propose that screening for chronic Chagas disease be considered in PWH in regions endemic for Chagas disease and in the immigrant populations in nonendemic regions. Additionally, our study showed that PWH with advancing immunosuppression have higher levels of estimated parasitemia measured by qPCR and suggests a role for active surveillance for Chagas reactivation with consideration of treatment with antitrypanosomal therapy until immune reconstitution can be achieved.

Hepatitis B testing, care linkage, and vaccination coverage within a registry of hepatitis C infected patients.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection testing among persons with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is necessary to appropriately care for these patients, yet uptake of HBV testing and vaccination in this population is suboptimal. METHODS: In a retrospective cohort analysis, we describe the prevalence of hepatitis B testing, linkage to hepatitis B care, and hepatitis B vaccination in patients with HCV infection within a large urban safety-net health system. Using a registry of HCV-infected patients with patient-level electronic health record data, that included demographic, clinical, and laboratory information from 2004 to 2016 from Grady Health System in Atlanta, GA, we describe (1) The prevalence of hepatitis B testing (hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg], core antibody [anti-HBc], surface antibody [anti-HBs]); (2) The proportion of HBsAg-positive persons receiving HBV DNA and e-antigen (HBeAg) as indicators for linkage to hepatitis B-directed care; and (3) The proportion of persons receiving hepatitis B vaccine. RESULTS: Of 4224 HCV-infected patients, 3629 (86%) had test results for HBsAg and 43 (1.2%) were HBsAg-positive. Of 2342 (55%) with test results for all three HBV serological markers, median age was 60 years, 67% were male, and 83% were African-American, 789 (34%) anti-HBc positive only, 678 (29%) anti-HBc/anti-HBs positive, 190 (8.1%) anti-HBs positive only, and 642 (27%) were HBV-susceptible. Of HBsAg-positive patients, 21% received HBV DNA and 40% HBeAg testing. The proportion of HBV-susceptible patients receiving at least 1 dose of hepatitis B vaccine was 322/642 (50%). CONCLUSIONS: In a large cohort of HCV-infected patients, we found a high prevalence of current or past HBV infection, but there were gaps in complete hepatitis B testing, hepatitis B-directed care, and hepatitis B vaccination. Strategies are needed to increase hepatitis B testing, linkage to care, and administration of the hepatitis B vaccine for HCV-infected persons in this healthcare system.

HIV Prevention and Treatment: The Evolving Role of the Emergency Department.

Historically, the role of the emergency physician in HIV care has been constrained to treating sick patients with opportunistic infections and postexposure prophylaxis for occupational exposures. However, advances in HIV care have led to medications that have substantially fewer issues with toxicity and resistance, opening up an exciting new opportunity for emergency physicians to participate in treating the HIV virus itself. With this new role, it is crucial that emergency physicians be familiar with the advances in testing and medications for HIV prevention and treatment. To our knowledge, to date there has not yet been an article addressing this expansion of practice. We have compiled a summary of what the emergency physician needs to know, including misconceptions associated with antiretroviral therapy, medication complexity, toxicity, resistance, and usability. Additionally, we review potential indications for prescribing these drugs in the emergency department, including the role of the emergency physician in postexposure prophylaxis, preexposure prophylaxis, and treatment of acute HIV, as well as how emergency physicians can engage with chronic HIV infection.

High Feasibility of Empiric HIV Treatment for Patients With Suspected Acute HIV in an Emergency Department.

Earlier intervention in acute HIV infection limits HIV reservoirs and may decrease HIV transmission. We developed criteria for empiric antiretroviral therapy (ART) in an emergency department (ED) routine HIV screening program. We assessed the feasibility and willingness of patients with suspected acute HIV infection in the ED to begin ART. A suspected acute HIV infection was defined as a positive HIV antigen antibody combination immunoassay with pending HIV-antibody differentiation test results and HIV RNA viral load. During the study period, there were 16 confirmed cases of acute HIV infection: 11 met our criteria for empiric ART and agreed to treatment, 10 were prescribed ART, and 1 left the ED against medical advice without a prescription for ART. Eight patients completed at least one follow-up visit. Empiric HIV treatment in an ED is feasible, well received by patients, and offers a unique entry point into the HIV care continuum.

Evaluation of Microscopic Observation Drug Susceptibility (MODS) and the string test for rapid diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in HIV/AIDS patients in Bolivia.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) is the most common opportunistic infection and the leading cause of death in HIV-positive people worldwide. Diagnosing TB is difficult, and is more challenging in resource-scarce settings where culture-based diagnostic methods rely on poorly sensitive smear microscopy by Ziehl-Neelsen stain (ZN). METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study examining the diagnostic utility of Microscopic Observation Drug Susceptibility liquid culture (MODS) versus traditional Ziehl-Neelsen staining (ZN) and Lowenstein Jensen culture (LJ) of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDRTB) in HIV-infected patients in Bolivia. For sputum scarce individuals we assessed the value of the string test and induced sputum for TB diagnosis. The presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in the sputum of 107 HIV-positive patients was evaluated by ZN, LJ, and MODS. Gastric secretion samples obtained by the string test were evaluated by MODS in 102 patients. RESULTS: The TB-HIV co-infection rate of HIV patients with respiratory symptoms by sputum sample was 45 % (48/107); 46/48 (96 %) were positive by MODS, 38/48 (79 %) by LJ, and 30/48 (63 %) by ZN. The rate of MDRTB was 9 % (4/48). Median time to positive culture was 10 days by MODS versus 34 days by LJ (p < 0.0001). In smear-negative patients, MODS detected TB in 17/18 patients, compared to 11/18 by LJ (94.4 % vs 61.0 %, p = 0.03 %). In patients unable to produce a sputum sample without induction, the string test cultured by MODS yielded Mtb in of 9/11 (82 %) TB positive patients compared to 11/11 (100 %) with induced sputum. Of the 10 patients unable to produce a sputum sample, 4 were TB-positive by string test. CONCLUSION: MODS was faster and had a higher Mtb detection yield compared to LJ, with a greater difference in yield between the two in smear-negative patients. The string test is a valuable diagnostic technique for HIV sputum-scarce or sputum-absent patients, and should be considered as an alternative test to induced sputum to obtain sample for Mtb in resource-limited settings. Nine percent of our TB+ patients had MDRTB, which reinforces the need for rapid detection with direct drug susceptibility testing in HIV patients in Bolivia.