Misdiagnosed HIV Infection in Pregnant Women: Implications for Clinical Care

Out of nearly 900 women in a research study of human immunodeficiency virus infection in pregnancy, 8 were subsequently found not to be infected. Misdiagnoses could have resulted from (a) laboratory errors or specimen mixups; (b) failure to follow the testing algorithm recommended by the Centers for...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Public health reports (1974) 1994-09, Vol.109 (5), p.694-699
Main Authors: Sheon, Amy R., Fox, Harold E., Geraldine Alexander, Arlene Buck, Alice Higgins, Susan M. Mc Dermott, Gail Moroso, Jack Moye, Edna Pacheco-Acosta
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
"Public Health Reports" in Brief
Adult
AIDS
Biological and medical sciences
Diagnostic Errors
Factitious Disorders - diagnosis
Female
HIV
HIV infections
HIV Infections - diagnosis
HIV Infections - therapy
HIV Seronegativity
HIV Seropositivity - diagnosis
HIV-1
Humans
Immunodeficiencies
Immunodeficiencies. Immunoglobulinopathies
Immunopathology
Infections
Malingering - diagnosis
Medical referrals
Medical sciences
Misdiagnosis
Munchausen Syndrome - diagnosis
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - diagnosis
Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - therapy
Risk-Taking
Screening tests
Serology
Sexual Behavior
Specimens
Womens health
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Out of nearly 900 women in a research study of human immunodeficiency virus infection in pregnancy, 8 were subsequently found not to be infected. Misdiagnoses could have resulted from (a) laboratory errors or specimen mixups; (b) failure to follow the testing algorithm recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to confirm results; (c) women perceiving they were infected by high-risk behavior in the absence of testing, despite the receipt of negative test results, or based on screening results only; or (d) factitious disorder, HIV Munchausen syndrome, or malingering. Because of the potentially devastating impact of an HIV diagnosis and the toxicity of HIV therapies, health care providers should obtain independent confirmation of the diagnosis before initiating treatment or followup for HIV based on patient report or provider referral. Quality test interpretation and counseling must be ensured. Therapeutic interventions may be indicated for persons intentionally and falsely presenting themselves as HIV-infected.
ISSN:0033-3549
1468-2877