HIV PN is a highly effective diagnostic strategy. Non-completion of PN thus represents a missed opportunity to diagnose HIV in at-risk populations. Vigorous efforts should be made to pursue PN to identify people living with, and at risk of, HIV infection.
Verbal information-giving is good, but only half of cases were reportedly given written information on chlamydia. Follow-up by 'phoning or texting (43%) was as common as follow-up in clinics (39%). About one-fourth of cases did not have follow up, with no recall for around 60% of these cases. Advice about partner notification (PN) was provided by a health adviser or other suitably trained health professional to 91% of cases, and the method of PN was documented for 92% of these cases. PN outcome was not documented for about 25% of these cases. There was no information on the chlamydial status of sexual contacts of about half of cases, and no information about the treatment status of sexual contacts of about 40% of cases. The average number of contacts screened per index was 0.52 outside London and 0.29 for the London Regions, levels below those suggested in the National Guideline.
The case notes of cases of genital chlamydial infection were audited against the UK National Guideline. This was the first web-based and the largest national audit to date, with 193 clinics in all UK Regions contributing data. About half of all cases had no symptoms, with about one-third attending for routine or asymptomatic screens; suggesting significant provision of screening by clinics that might be managed differently to reduce workload. Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) are now well established for chlamydial detection in UK clinics, with 93% of cases having genital NAATs. Azithromycin is now more commonly used than doxycycline (54% vs. 37%). Of 26 pregnant women, 20 were treated with azithromycin, suggesting that most prescribers treating pregnant women consider that erythromycin is not an adequate alternative to azithromycin. Most women had NAATs obtained from sites recommended by the Guideline, with 93% of women who had genital NAATs having these from the cervix or vulvovaginal area.
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