Summary
Definition
History and exam
Key diagnostic factors
- increased risk of maternal HIV infection
- increased risk of perinatal HIV transmission
Other diagnostic factors
- oral candidiasis
- increasing dyspnea
- weight loss
- fever
- malaise
- lymphadenopathy
- maculopapular blanching rash
Risk factors
- needle-sharing with injection drug use
- receptive penile-vaginal intercourse
- unprotected receptive anal intercourse
- percutaneous needle stick
- sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and bacterial vaginosis
- high maternal viral load (perinatal transmission)
- absence of prenatal maternal antiretroviral therapy (perinatal transmission)
- breast-feeding (perinatal transmission)
- violence against women and girls
- receptive oral intercourse
- insertive oral intercourse
- multiple sexual partners
- low maternal CD4 count (perinatal transmission)
Diagnostic investigations
1st investigations to order
- maternal HIV-1/HIV-2 antigen/antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
- maternal HIV-1/HIV-2 antibody differentiation immunoassay
- neonatal HIV DNA or RNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
Investigations to consider
- HIV-1 western blot
- HIV-1 indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA)
- HIV-1 nucleic acid test (NAT)
- CD4 count
- plasma HIV RNA levels (viral load)
- renal function tests
- liver function tests (LFTs)
- tests for coinfections
- drug resistance test (genotyping)
- complete blood count
- glucose screening
- fetal ultrasound
Treatment algorithm
Contributors
Authors
Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Georgetown University School of Medicine
Scientific Director of Women’s Health Research
MedStar Health Research Institute
Associate Chair for Research and Director
Women's Center for Positive Living
MedStar Washington Hospital Center Department of Women’s and Infants’ Services
Washington
DC
Disclosures
RKS declares that she is a principal investigator on a Gilead Investigator Sponsored Research Award through MedStar Health Research Institute.
Dr Rachel K. Scott would like to gratefully acknowledge Dr Isaac Delke, Dr Christina Bailey, and Dr Mettassebia Kano, the previous contributors to this topic.
Disclosures
ID, CB, and MK declare that they have no competing interests.
Peer reviewers
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Associate Residency Program Director
University of Chicago
Chicago
IL
Disclosures
AS declares that she has no competing interests.
Reader in Communicable Diseases
Faculty of Medicine
Imperial College
London
UK
Disclosures
GPT has been reimbursed by various pharmaceutical companies for attending conferences, lecturing, and consulting, and has been chief investigator of investigator-initiated industry-funded research on HIV and pregnancy.
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