Characterisation of new HIV diagnoses achieved in emergency departments using an opt-in strategy, Catalonia, Spain, July 2021 to March 2024
Llaneras Artigues, Jordi (Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron)
Álvarez-López, Patricia (Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron)
de Paz, Rocío (Hospital del Mar (Barcelona, Catalunya))
Carbó, Míriam (Hospital Clínic i Provincial de Barcelona)
Saura, Mireia (Hospital Arnau de Vilanova)
Rebollo, Alexis (Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge)
Robert, Neus (Institut Germans Trias i Pujol. Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol)
Guardiola Tey, Jose Maria (Institut de Recerca Sant Pau)
Leey, Connie (Althaia Xarxa Assistencial Universitària de Manresa)
González-García, Laura (Institut de Recerca i Innovació en Ciències de la Vida i de la Salut a la Catalunya Central (IRIS-CC))
Rando-Segura, Ariadna (Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron)
Curran, Adrian (Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron)
Gené Tous, Emilio (Parc Taulí Hospital Universitari. Institut d'Investigació i Innovació Parc Taulí (I3PT))
Miró, Oscar (Hospital Clínic i Provincial de Barcelona)
Olaizola, Cristina (Hospital de Mataró)
Carrillo, Alberto (Hospital Sant Pau i Santa Tecla (Tarragona))
Ramió Lluch, Cristina (Hospital Universitari de Girona Doctor Josep Trueta)
Smithson, Alex (Hospital Esperit Sant. Santa Coloma de Gramanet)
Rodríguez-Masià, Ferran (Hospital de Tortosa Verge de la Cinta)
Ferro Alem, José Ignacio (Parc Taulí Hospital Universitari. Institut d'Investigació i Innovació Parc Taulí (I3PT))
Michelini, Mariola (Hospital de Viladecans)
Sotomayor, Margarita (Hospital de Sant Joan Despí Moisès Broggi)
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Medicina

Date:	2025
Abstract:	Background: HIV screening strategies in alternative settings, such as emergency departments (EDs), aim to increase diagnosis of occult infections and achieve 95-95-95 targets for 2030. Aim: To assess the effectiveness of an opt-in HIV screening strategy in EDs based on six clinical scenarios from a 2020 Spanish consensus document, while examining patient characteristics and linkage to-care. Methods: This descriptive, multicentre, retrospective study analysed epidemiological, clinical, and linkage-to-care data of individuals aged ≥ 18 years newly diagnosed with HIV between July 2021 and March 2024 in 17 EDs covering 73% of the population in Catalonia, Spain. Results: From 23,105 HIV serologies performed, there were 172 new diagnoses (positivity rate: 0. 7%). Of these, 88. 4% (152/172) were assigned male at birth, had a median age of 39 years (IQR: 30-50), and 47. 9% (81/169) were Spanish. Sexual transmission was reported in 75. 6% (130/172) of cases, with 55. 5% (81/146) heterosexual. Fiebig stage data, available in 78. 5% (135/172) of cases, showed 57. 8% (78/135) had acute infection. Advanced HIV was found in 24. 2% (30/124). Diagnoses related to the six clinical scenarios accounted for 54. 6% (94/172) of cases. For all new diagnoses, 82. 0% (137/167) were linked to specialised healthcare and started antiretroviral treatment within 9 days (IQR: 4-17), with no significant differences regarding urban/rural hospital coverage areas. Conclusion: An opt-in HIV screening strategy in the ED is feasible and effective, especially in detecting highly transmissible patients with acute infection. However, one in five newly diagnosed individuals remained untreated, highlighting the need for improved linkage to care.
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Adolescent ; Adult ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; HIV Infections ; HIV Testing ; Humans ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Spain ; Young Adult
Published in:	Eurosurveillance, Vol. 30, Num. 47 (November 2025) , art. 2400781, ISSN 1560-7917

DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2025.30.47.2400781
PMID: 41289038

13 p, 253.3 KB

The record appears in these collections:
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Health sciences and biosciences > Institut d'Investigació en Ciencies de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP)
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Health sciences and biosciences > Parc Taulí Research and Innovation Institute (I3PT
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Health sciences and biosciences > Institut de Recerca Sant Pau
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles