In Celebration of World Aids Day, Med Pak interviews Dr. T Nakin, Medical Practitioner in Hammersdale
Q: How are HIV and AIDS different?
A: HIV is the virus that weakens the immune system, while AIDS is the advanced stage of HIV infection when the immune system is severely damaged. With treatment, HIV can be managed, and AIDS can often be prevented.
Q: Has there been an increase in diagnosis of HIV among staff at the workplace?
A: The numbers can differ depending on the region and the workplace. Increased access to testing and awareness campaigns often lead to more diagnoses being made. However, stigma and concerns about privacy still discourage some people from getting tested.
Q: What are the first steps a medical practitioner should take if their patient is HIV positive?
A: • Provide support: Offer emotional support and address patient concerns.
• Confirm diagnosis: Perform confirmatory testing.
• Educate: Discuss HIV basics and the importance of treatment.
• Start treatment: Initiate or refer for ART.
• Baseline assessment: Check CD4 count, viral load, and screen for co-infections.
• Partner notification: Counsel on informing partners for testing.
• Mental health: Screen and refer if needed.
Q: How Common Are False Negatives and False Positives?
A: • False negatives: These typically occur during the “window period,” the time between HIV exposure and when the test can detect the virus. This period can last up to 3-12 weeks depending on the type of test used. For example, antibody-only tests might not detect HIV as early as antigen/antibody or RNA tests.
Frequency: Estimated at less than 0.5% in modern testing when conducted outside the window period.
• False positives: These are rare and often arise from technical errors, cross-reactivity, or conditions like autoimmune diseases. Confirmatory tests (e.g., Western blot or PCR) are always done following an initial positive result to ensure accuracy.
Frequency: Less than 1% with modern testing methods.
To minimize these errors, practitioners should adhere to testing protocols, including confirmatory tests for all positive results and re-testing in cases of early exposure.
