[Missed opportunities for serological evaluation of human immunodeficiency virus infection during routine outpatient care at the University Hospital of Brasilia, Federal District]. / Oportunidades perdidas de avaliação sorológica para a infecção pelo vírus da imunodeficiência humana na rotina de atendimento ambulatorial do Hospital Universitário de Brasília, Distrito Federal.

The factors involved in the provision of serological testing to detect human immunodeficiency virus infection, for adults within the outpatient care setting at the University Hospital of Brasilia, were studied. Specific questionnaires were applied to 53 physicians and 347 users. The results showed that 96.8% of the users identified unprotected sexual intercourse as a risk factor for acquiring this infection and that 13.6% were unaware of possibility of vertical transmission. Regarding users' exposure to risk factors, 88.2% practiced unprotected sexual intercourse, 22.2% had a diagnosis of other sexually transmitted diseases and 22.2% had received blood transfusions. The risk factors that physicians asked about most frequently were unprotected sexual practices and previous diagnoses of hepatitis B or C (35.9% for each). Eighteen percent of the users had been offered tests at the University Hospital of Brasilia; 15.8% underwent tests and 7.4% of the individuals tested had not had access to the results. Ninety-one percent of the physicians said that they felt comfortable about offering tests, while only 30.4% offered them routinely. The study confirms that opportunities for serological testing to detect this infection at the University Hospital of Brasilia have been missed and reinforces the need to implement measures to correct this problem.

Oportunidades perdidas de avaliação sorológica para a infecção pelo vírus da imunodeficiência humana na rotina de atendimento ambulatorial do Hospital Universitário de Brasília, Distrito Federal / Missed opportunities for serological evaluation of human immunodeficiency virus infection during routine outpatient care at the University Hospital of Brasilia, Federal District

Foram estudados os fatores envolvidos na oferta de sorologia para detectar a infecção pelo vírus de imunodeficiência humana, no atendimento de adultos no ambulatório do Hospital Universitário de Brasília, por meio de aplicação de questionários específicos a 53 médicos e 347 usuários. Os resultados revelaram que 96,8 por cento dos usuários identificaram como fator de risco para adquirir a infecção as relações sexuais desprotegidas e 13,6 por cento desconheciam a possibilidade de transmissão vertical. Em relação à exposição dos usuários aos fatores de risco, 88,2 por cento praticaram relações sexuais desprotegidas, 22,2 por cento tiveram diagnóstico de outras doenças de transmissão sexual e 22,2 por cento tinham recebido transfusões sangüíneas. Os fatores de risco mais questionados pelos médicos foram a prática de relações sexuais desprotegidas e o diagnóstico prévio de hepatite B ou C (35,9 por cento para ambos). Dezoito por cento dos usuários receberam oferta de testes no Hospital Universitário de Brasília; 15,8 por cento foram testados e 7,4 por cento dos indivíduos testados não tiveram acesso ao resultado. Noventa e um por cento dos médicos referiram sentir-se confortáveis ao oferecer testes e apenas 30,4 por cento oferecem-nos rotineiramente. O estudo confirma a perda de oportunidades de testagem sorológica para detectar a infecção no Hospital Universitário de Brasília e reforça a necessidade de implementar medidas para corrigir o problema.

The factors involved in the provision of serological testing to detect human immunodeficiency virus infection, for adults within the outpatient care setting at the University Hospital of Brasilia, were studied. Specific questionnaires were applied to 53 physicians and 347 users. The results showed that 96.8 percent of the users identified unprotected sexual intercourse as a risk factor for acquiring this infection and that 13.6 percent were unaware of possibility of vertical transmission. Regarding users' exposure to risk factors, 88.2 percent practiced unprotected sexual intercourse, 22.2 percent had a diagnosis of other sexually transmitted diseases and 22.2 percent had received blood transfusions. The risk factors that physicians asked about most frequently were unprotected sexual practices and previous diagnoses of hepatitis B or C (35.9 percent for each). Eighteen percent of the users had been offered tests at the University Hospital of Brasilia; 15.8 percent underwent tests and 7.4 percent of the individuals tested had not had access to the results. Ninety-one percent of the physicians said that they felt comfortable about offering tests, while only 30.4 percent offered them routinely. The study confirms that opportunities for serological testing to detect this infection at the University Hospital of Brasilia have been missed and reinforces the need to implement measures to correct this problem.