Outcomes of discordant HIV screening test results at a southern academic medical center.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine outcomes of follow-up for persons with discordant fourth-generation HIV screening test results. DESIGN: A retrospective chart review. METHODS: We analyzed the electronic health record at the Medical University of South Carolina for a 10-year period spanning 2012-2022 to identify instances of discordant HIV screening test results, wherein initial antigen/antibody screening was positive, but reflex confirmatory testing for HIV-1 and HIV-2 antibodies was negative. We reviewed individual records to evaluate clinical follow-up and determine if the discordant test represented an acute HIV infection, a false-positive result, or was unresolved. RESULTS: We identified 199 testing instances with discordant results. Most discordant results ( n  = 115) were subsequently determined to reflect a false-positive test, while 56 were unresolved without documented follow-up testing. Twenty-eight cases of acute HIV infection were identified of which 26 were linked to care within a month of initial testing. Two acute HIV cases were not identified in real time leading to delay in diagnosis and care. Testing done in the context of infectious symptoms and testing performed in the emergency department were associated with increased odds of a discordant test ultimately reflecting acute HIV infection. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate the importance of appropriate and timely follow-up for discordant HIV screening test results.

Examining the Intersection of Life Expectancy and Social Vulnerability by Locality.

Social vulnerabilities affect life expectancy across North Carolina. From 2018 to 2020, we observed that counties with low life expectancy had higher Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) scores. Counties with low SVI scores had higher life expectancy compared to sister counties with higher SVI scores.

Evidence to support treatment options for children with swallowing and feeding disorders: A systematic review.

PURPOSE: A rise in pediatric patients with swallowing and feeding problems has resulted in increased interest in multidisciplinary treatments to address these issues. This evidence based systematic review (EBSR) examined the published evidence for the use of common strategies used by clinicians across disciplines to treat pediatric swallowing and feeding problems. METHODS: A systematic search of 10 electronic databases was completed to identify relevant, peer reviewed literature published in English prior to December 2015 reporting original data that addressed at least one of the five identified clinical questions. RESULTS: Sixty-one studies of varying methodological quality were included. The majority of the included studies (60/61) focused on the use of behavioral therapies to remediate swallowing and feeding disorders in children and reported mixed findings across all of the targeted outcomes. CONCLUSION: There is insufficient quantity of evidence to determine the effects of oral motor, sensory, and pharmaceutical therapies on functional feeding outcomes in pediatric populations. A larger body of phase 1 evidence is available that establishes the efficacy of behavioral strategies to treat some swallowing and feeding difficulties in small cohort and single subject studies. This analysis identified limited high quality (phase 4) research articles that establish the efficacy and benefit of joint nutrition and behavior intervention programs and systematic desensitization and operant conditioning behavioral therapy approaches to improve functional feeding and swallowing outcomes in children.