It judges that evidence of serious risk is less than that of potential benefits to individual and public health. Brattegard et al. This article explains that a combination of rapid tests, used as an alternative to a strategy based on enzyme immunoassay and Western blot, offered comparable performance without requiring running water, electricity or a well-developed laboratory. Limiting factors were costs of tests and training of staff. This is a review of studies investigating the costs and benefits of p24 antigen screening.
Issues discussed include high cost per transmission prevented and workload considerations.
Durham, NC, Family Health International, 1991. This is a useful manual covering various aspects of testing including quality control, quality assurance and laboratory techniques. Guidelines for organizing national external quality assessment schemes for HIV serological testing. Kongsin S, Rerks-Ngarm. Abstract of the XI International Conference on AIDS, Vancouver, 1996.