A male patient is advised to receive HIV antibody testing because of his multiple sexual partners and injectable drug use. What should the nurse inform the patient to ensure understanding?
a. The blood is tested with the highly sensitive test called the Western blot.
b. The blood is tested with an ELISA; if positive, it is tested again with an ELISA, followed by a Western blot if the second ELISA is positive.
c. A series of HIV tests is performed to confirm if the patient has AIDS.
d. If the HIV tests are seronegative, the patient can be assured that he is not infected.
ANS: B
The individual's blood is tested with ELISA or enzyme immunoassay (ELA), antibody tests that detect the presence of HIV antibodies. If the ELA is positive for HIV, then the same blood is tested a second time. If the second ELA is positive, a more specific confirming test such as the Western blot is done. Blood that is reactive or positive in all three steps is reported to be HIV-positive. A seronegative is not an assurance that the individual is free of infection since seroconversion may not have yet occurred.
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