Abstract

SEFEANE, TI; LUKHELE, M  and  RAMOKGOPA, MT. Seroprevalence of HIV in acute orthopaedic trauma at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital. SA orthop. j. [online]. 2011, vol.10, n.2, pp.30-33. ISSN 2309-8309.

AIM: The aim of the study was to establish the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seroprevalence in an acute orthopaedic trauma setting in an urban teaching hospital. METHODS: All patients admitted at the Orthopaedic Trauma Unit of the academic hospital during a six-month period from 1 July 2008 to 31 December 2008 were counselled and an informed consent for HIV testing was obtained. Only acute orthopaedic trauma patients aged 18 years and above, with a Glasgow Coma Scale of 15/15 and competent to give consent were recruited for the study. Where the consent was given blood samples were analysed by way of a rapid HIV test followed by a confirmatory ELISA when the rapid HIV tested positive. Those patients who tested positive for the virus were then counselled and offered referral to an HIV centre for follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 797 patients were admitted during the study period. One-hundred-and-fifty-nine patients (20%) did not meet the inclusion criteria. A total of 638 patients were therefore eligible for recruitment. Two-hundred-and-forty-six patients (38%) consented and signed the informed consent form. Of those that were tested, 57 (23%) tested positive and were followed up accordingly. CONCLUSION: Seroprevalence in an acute orthopaedic trauma setting in an urban teaching hospital was found to be high in this study. The power of this study was weakened by the low percentage of eligible patients who consented to be tested.

Keywords : HIV seroprevalence; acute orthopaedic traumas.

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