How to donate blood for AIDS. How to donate blood for HIV on an empty stomach or not, the timing of the availability of tests and the likelihood of false results

In the modern world, such a procedure is quite common and well-known. An HIV blood test should be done by each of us, since it is not just about making sure of our own health, but also about the safety of our loved ones.

What additional information do you need to know about this study?

The process of detecting antibodies that have appeared in the body as a reaction to infection with the human immunodeficiency virus is called an HIV test.

It is necessary to conduct an examination no earlier than 3-4 weeks after the probable infection, and then it must be repeated (in case you received a negative response). This usually happens after 3-6 months.

Blood, in turn, is taken from a vein (in the area of \u200b\u200bthe bend of the arm). Everything happens in a specially equipped treatment room or in a laboratory using a sterile syringe. Usually, about 5 ml is taken for analysis.

The waiting time for results is from two to ten days.

Preparing to conduct HIV test

There are no special requirements, just before the examination, it is advisable to follow a few simple rules:

donate blood in the morning (from 8 to 11 am);
do not take anything from food for at least 8 hours (only water is allowed);
do not drink alcohol the day before;
try to avoid emotional and physical overload;
give up cigarettes (it is advisable not to smoke at least an hour before the delivery);
do not take medication or consult with your doctor about the combination of tablets with the upcoming examination;
relax and rest without fail for 10-20 minutes before the procedure;
it is not recommended to do the test after this or that physiotherapy, instrumental and any other observation.

Key factors that have a strong influence on future HIV testing:

food loads (hormone levels may fail and fat particles may increase in the content of the sample);
alcoholic beverages (strongly affect human metabolism);
smoking (changes some biologically active substances);
taking a panacea (any drug is a diverse and unpredictable effect);
physical and emotional congestion (subsequently, hormonal changes in the body are possible);
medical or instrumental observations (change certain parameters);
physiotherapy (preliminary modification of laboratory norms).

A corresponding emphasis is also placed on the time of day during the analysis, because everyone has an individual work schedule and their own hormonal fluctuations, so it is imperative to consult a doctor.

In addition, girls and women should take into account the phases of the menstrual cycle, which are quite significant for the hormonal balance of their body.

In most cases, the test is done to convince oneself that everything is fine, and to get rid of bad thoughts about any threats.

A similar operation is carried out, as a rule, in cases where:

preparing to have children;
health problems appear for no reason (most often this is a sharp weight loss or the onset of fever);
the presence of night sweats;
preparations for surgery or hospitalization are underway;
there was an unplanned sexual contact;
a non-sterile needle was used during injections;
contaminated medical and other instruments were used.

It is also worth noting that in case of accidental intercourse, it is recommended to donate blood after one and a half to three months. After this period, foreign antibodies in the human body will become visible, and the results, in turn, will be correct and accurate.

Any hospital provides services of this kind and has no right to refuse such a procedure. The result is confidential, and the doctor himself announces it directly.

There is another option - to contact special centers or charitable foundations, where the study will be performed free of charge and anonymously. In this case, the patient is assigned a number known only to him and the medical staff, and the results are handed over personally.

As an alternative, you can visit an AIDS laboratory or a private clinic, where everything will be done at the highest level. The only thing that will be felt is the difference in price for the services performed.

How to decipher the results

When you are handed a medical history, it will say "Positive" or "Negative". In the first case, the virus is detected and you are infected, and in the second case, the infection is absent. There is also the “Doubtful” option, when there are AIDS markers, but still the result will be negative.

What to do if HIV infection is found in the body

First of all, you should not immediately lose heart, despair and give up, because people with such a disease live and function perfectly in society, achieving their goals.

The patient needs to go to a specialized AIDS center, where a detailed examination will be made, a final diagnosis will be made and timely assistance provided.

In no case should you delay treatment and sit idly by, because with diseases of this kind, every second counts.

The sooner you begin to act, the more likely it is to defeat the disease, at least for a while. It is preventive measures and a panacea that can reduce the risk of developing HIV infection and ensure many years of happy life.

Thus, in order to conduct an HIV test, no special preparation is required. It will be sufficient to simply familiarize yourself with the main rules that must be followed and know the general information in order to master the situation.

Just treat this issue with due care and take some free time, later you will be confident in yourself, your loved ones and in the cloudless future of your children.

What is needed for an HIV test? If the patient independently turned to a specialized center or hospital to find out if he is infected, the study is carried out anonymously, assigning a code to the person, by which the person will be determined in the future.

How is an HIV test taken if the examination is included in a routine medical examination or is necessary to obtain a certificate? In this case, the diagnosis is personalized - you will need to provide a document confirming your identity.

Only laboratory assistants and a specialist will know about the course of the study and the results, who must tell in advance how the HIV test is carried out, describe the procedure for taking biological material, and also, if information about the research method is needed, provide it.

After the patient has learned everything in general terms, it is necessary to describe in more detail how an HIV test is carried out (on an empty stomach or not, how alcohol can affect the result).

By contacting a specialized center, before and after the examination, you will have the opportunity to talk with a psychologist. The disease is incurable and after a certain time leads to death, so the help of a psychologist will not be superfluous.

Where is the HIV test taken from?

More often, blood is taken from a vein for research. The collection procedure is as follows:

With the help of a tight tourniquet, venous stasis is formed (the bandage is applied just above the elbow bend);
The patient needs to clench his fist until the veins fill with blood;
The dermis around and directly at the puncture site is treated with alcohol;
Pierce a vein;
Remove the tourniquet;
They take blood.

Since they take tests for HIV, AIDS from a vein (for almost all research methods), a person may become ill. The doctor must carefully monitor the patient's condition throughout the entire blood sampling procedure.

How is an AIDS test done anonymously? In a special journal, where the laboratory assistant makes an entry about the sampling of biological material, a number is entered. If additional examination is necessary, the numbers are transferred to other test tubes. If the study is personalized, passport data and others are written out in the journal, and a number is also assigned.

In emergency cases, when urgent surgical intervention is indicated for the patient, an HIV test is mandatory. How to take it in such a situation and what biological material is needed to conduct this study?

Before surgery, a portion of blood is taken from the patient's finger, and saliva or urine (depending on the manufacturer) is also suitable for an express test. After about half an hour, the result will be ready, and the specialists can get to work.

How is an AIDS test done - PCR test

AIDS is the last stage of the disease, which (with effective therapy) can begin 10-15 years after infection. It is possible to determine the stage only with the help of PCR test, the principle of which is based on the detection of pathogen nucleic acids in biological material.

Since an HIV test is done using a polymerase chain reaction from a week to 10 days, the result can be found out only after this period.

Advantages of the method:

Provides not only qualitative, but also quantitative characteristics (viral load);
Highly sensitive, specific;
Allows you to diagnose patients with hepatitis, immunosuppressive condition, pregnant women (when serological methods are ineffective);
The rules for taking an HIV test for PCR do not differ from those generally accepted;
Helps eliminate infection in newborns.

Experts answer it ambiguously. Some believe that you should not eat for 8 hours before the examination. Others are sure that after eating you can test for HIV and the result will be reliable. In order not to get a false result, it is necessary to understand not only the issue of food intake, but also the general rules.

Rules for taking blood from a vein to detect HIV infection:

Take an HIV test on an empty stomach;
It is advisable not to take any medications the day before (in case of regular medication, warn a specialist);
Do not drink alcoholic beverages the day before;
Refrain from smoking one hour before blood sampling.

In addition to being tested for AIDS on an empty stomach, it is also necessary to refrain from eating fatty foods (for several days before the analysis). All of these recommendations are associated with the exclusion of a false positive result.

Why should I take an HIV test on an empty stomach?

The PCR test detects the DNA and RNA of the virus as early as 3 weeks after infection. The viral load or, in general, the detection of the pathogen in the blood is often not affected by food.

With PCR, there is a small percentage of false positives, and it is impossible to trace exactly what influenced the analysis for AIDS. On an empty stomach, or not - how to take? It is advisable to refrain from eating for at least 4 hours (on an empty stomach).

On the eve before taking the material, you can eat low-fat food, fruits. Food containing a large amount of fat will change the quality of blood serum - it will become chile, which will affect the operation of the amplifier.

When conducting an ELISA and an immunoblot, is the HIV test taken on an empty stomach, or not? The principle of operation of the methods is aimed at detecting not the nucleic acids of the virus, as in PCR, but antigens and antibodies to the pathogen.

These serological tests are quite sensitive (the percentage of false positive results is 5), so it is not so important whether you donate blood for HIV on an empty stomach or not. The rules and restrictions on food intake are associated only with the reinsurance of doctors who recommend not to eat 8 hours before the procedure.

Before the examination, you need to consult a specialist about how to take an HIV test, whether you can eat, drink, and how to make sure that there are no “ballast” components in the blood plasma that affect the conclusion.

In some cases, the result becomes false positive when structures similar to antibodies are found in the blood, but this is extremely rare. Upon receipt of such a result, the specialist asks whether blood was donated for HIV on an empty stomach or not, also about the presence of diseases and other factors during the study that could affect its reliability.

If at least one of the results of ELISA or ICA was positive, immunoblotting is necessary. After the diagnosis is made, it is necessary to control the number of CD4 cells and the concentration of the virus - then it will be possible to prescribe effective antiretroviral therapy in time.

After the patient has learned everything in general terms, it is necessary to describe in more detail how an HIV test is carried out (on an empty stomach or not, how alcohol can affect the result).

Where is the HIV test taken from?

More often, blood is taken from a vein for research. The collection procedure is as follows:

With the help of a tight tourniquet, venous stasis is formed (the bandage is applied just above the elbow bend);
The patient needs to clench his fist until the veins fill with blood;
The dermis around and directly at the puncture site is treated with alcohol;
Pierce a vein;
Remove the tourniquet;
They take blood.

A high degree of security when renting in private institutions, it is enough just to enter your data into the registry. But it is worth remembering that HIV treatment is anonymously prohibited. You should register and undergo appropriate antiviral therapy at public expense.

Anonymous examination involves marking the patient's tube with a special number or code. The blood is tested one or more times, and an additional visit to the doctor's office for analysis may be required.

If it shows a positive result, then the examination is transferred to the AIDS Center, where a medical worker will make a diagnosis.

It should be understood that in AIDS centers, tests can be done anonymously, many tests are free. There are usually quite qualified personnel here, but at the same time, a large flow of patients undergoing examination is infected. The institution allocates special hours for the examination, usually this morning.

As a rule, there are many private clinics, it is easier to choose a suitable medical center from them. Analyzes are taken almost all day. The cost here is decently more expensive, but the analyzes are processed faster.

When and why to take the test?

The most common reasons that lead a person to see a specialist to have an HIV antibody test include:

HIV tests do not detect the presence of the virus in the body, but monitor the production of certain specific proteins. These proteins are antibodies (international designation Ab) and antigens (Ag). Detecting, directly, the presence of the virus in the body is also possible, but this test is not designed to diagnose HIV infection, is complex, time consuming and expensive, so it is usually not done. In addition, it is not established exactly when a negative result of such a test can be considered sufficiently reliable. This results in some testing limitations.

Antigens begin to appear in the body approximately three weeks after infection. At this time, they begin to be detected by analyzes. After about a week, the body produces so many antibodies that the antigens are no longer detectable. Approximately six weeks after infection, the number of antigens in the body begins to decrease. Subsequently, tests reveal antibodies. Once created, HIV antibodies do not disappear and can always be detected by tests. The result of the analysis, however, cannot determine how much time has passed since the infection.

The main limitation of testing: the analysis should be performed only after the expiration of the so-called. immunological window. The duration of the immunological window depends on the type of test (for example, when analyzing saliva, a three-month interval must be observed), on the current state of the person’s health (for example, the presence of hepatitis C or syphilis, as well as the use of certain drugs (for example, corticosteroids, anabolic steroids, some antibiotics and cancer drugs) can slow down immunological responses), as well as other factors.

Retesting at one potential risk is not recommended, as it increases anxiety, and premature analysis of calmness will not bring. On the other hand, it is recommended to repeat periodic testing for people at increased risk (eg, HIV-negative partners of HIV-positive people, men who have sex with men), the recommended interval should be discussed during the consultation.

Two main parameters for all tests:

Sensitivity indicates the ability of the test to detect infected individuals.
Specificity is the ability of a test to identify each uninfected person.

Blood for HIV donated on an empty stomach or not?

Every person who is going to do tests is interested in the question, does blood donation for HIV on an empty stomach, or is it not a prerequisite?

You don't need any special preparation to test for HIV infection. However, it is recommended to donate blood in the pre-lunch time, because. donating blood for an HIV blood test should be done on an empty stomach. In addition, sufficient fluid intake is recommended to reduce the risk of loss of consciousness during blood sampling. However, it must be at least two months before the tests are carried out from the potential risk, because of which the person, in fact, does the tests.

What do you need to know about HIV testing?

The key is the fact that it is impossible to detect the virus immediately after the infection, and even after a few days, is impossible.

A person has only one single way to know whether he is infected with HIV or not. This method is represented by a blood test that is designed specifically for the HIV virus. Thus, infection cannot be detected by routine blood sampling. This means that if you do not test yourself for HIV positivity, then you should not expect other tests to tell you whether you are infected with the HIV virus or not.

In addition to the aforementioned blood test, the presence of the HIV virus can be de facto determined by saliva testing. But, attention: the result of this test is only a guideline, and it is advisable for a person to undergo a blood test for his peace of mind.

The purpose of a blood test is to detect whether antibodies to HIV are present in the test sample. The human body begins to produce them when infected with a virus. Therefore, if they are present in the blood, the body is actually infected.

The key is the fact that it is impossible to detect the virus immediately after the infection, and even after a few days, is impossible. A reliable result can be obtained, as a rule, after two to three months from the moment of infection. In other words, transmission can be conclusively confirmed three months after the suspected risk process. This condition is referred to as the "immunologic window".

If a laboratory test shows a positive result, this, of course, does not automatically mean for an infected person that he must develop AIDS. This fact can be determined only after some time during a clinical examination. If the HIV test result is negative, this can only be explained by the fact that in the previous three months before the blood test was taken, the person being tested was not infected with the virus. In any case, this does not mean that a person is healthy, especially if during the elapsed time he got into a risky situation, i.e. was exposed to the possibility of transmission.

At the same time, neither a positive nor a negative result of a blood test says nothing about the state of health of the partner of the person being tested. The specialized literature describes numerous cases when one partner was infected with the HIV virus, but his other half was not infected even after several unprotected intercourse. At the same time, many cases are known when the transmission of the infection occurred immediately after the first sexual contact!

At the same time, many cases are known when the transmission of the infection occurred immediately after the first sexual contact!

The term "viral load" refers to the total amount of HIV virus that an infected person's blood contains. The higher the viral load values, the higher the risk of developing AIDS along with all the common symptoms that are associated with this disease.

The level of HIV in the blood (its particles are called virions) can currently be determined using laboratory tests on blood samples, also called viral load tests. All kinds of methods that are used today for these purposes are considered very reliable. The differences between the various methods lie in one thing, namely how low the level of infectious particles in the blood a particular method can recognize. This means that in almost all cases, the results have an acceptable predictive value, showing the viral load as low, high, or in the middle.

There have been situations more than once when patients, ignoring, for example, the rules for collecting urine, “received” protein in the analysis, which, with the “gullibility” of the doctor, led to an incorrect diagnosis, unjustified therapy, and many other problems.

Having a tight bite before donating blood, some of the patients with lipid metabolism disorders found in the certificate a positive result of an express test for syphilis. The family scenes that took place (before the re-examination, already with the right preparation) would have been comic if they were not so much like a drama.
Remember that obtaining reliable results of the analysis requires the correct collection of material. Failure to comply with the rules for preparing for the delivery of material for research, at best, will lead to the need to repeat the analysis, at worst - to an incorrect diagnosis with all the ensuing consequences. Therefore, before taking tests, carefully read the relevant sections of this memo. Human memory is imperfect, so before visiting the clinic, do not be too lazy to remember the recommendations of specialists - thus you will save yourself from unnecessary problems.

Rules for collecting urine

General laboratory research. For general analysis, it is preferable to use "morning" urine, which during the night is collected in the bladder; this reduces the natural daily fluctuations in urine parameters and thus characterizes the studied parameters more objectively. The volume of urine for a complete study is 70 ml or more. Urine should be collected in a dry, clean, well-washed dish from cleaning and disinfecting agents. All urine can be collected for analysis, however, elements of inflammation of the urethra, external genitalia, etc. can get into it. Therefore, as a rule, the first portion of urine is not used; the second (middle) portion of urine is collected in a clean bowl without touching the body with a bottle. The container with urine is tightly closed with a lid.
Before passing urine for analysis, the use of drugs is undesirable, because. some of them (in particular, ascorbic acid, which is part of most complex vitamins) affect the results of biochemical studies of urine.
Urine transportation should be carried out only at positive temperatures, otherwise the precipitated salts can be interpreted as a manifestation of renal pathology, or completely complicate the research process. In this case (“frozen urine”), the analysis will have to be repeated.

General blood analysis

The study is performed in the morning on an empty stomach. It is not recommended to donate blood after exercise, the use of medications, especially when administered intramuscularly or intravenously. You should not donate blood after exposure to x-rays ("X-ray"), physiotherapy procedures. Taking into account the daily rhythms of changes in blood parameters, it is advisable to take samples for repeated studies at the same time.

Biochemical blood tests

A mandatory requirement is a regimen from food on the day of blood donation for analysis (a light dinner is recommended in the evening of the previous day). Intense physical work is contraindicated, stressful situations should be avoided.
The influence of various drugs on the biochemical parameters of the state of the body is so diverse that it is recommended to stop taking drugs before donating blood for research. If the cancellation of the drug is not possible, it is necessary to inform the attending physician about which substances were used for therapeutic purposes; this will allow for a conditional adjustment to the laboratory test results.

Blood test for immune status and viral load

Although food does not greatly affect the results of the test for immune status and viral load, it is still better to donate blood for these tests on an empty stomach.
It is not recommended to take these tests during a viral infection. It's better to wait a month.
It is also not recommended to do these tests during the menstrual period. The readings of these results are strongly influenced by poor nutrition, overwork, trauma, and stressful situations.

Few people know how to take an HIV test. In the modern world, this issue is as relevant as possible, since the human immunodeficiency virus has become widespread. Everyone should be aware of how the virus occurs and how to detect it.

Disease pathogenesis

HIV is a virus that targets the hematopoietic system. Its characteristic feature is that this microorganism, entering the bloodstream, has a direct effect on the cells of the immune system (in particular, on T-lymphocytes), preventing them from carrying out normal immune and cellular reactions.

Over time, there is a complete suppression of the activity of T-lymphocytes, in particular T-helpers. Antigen presentation is disrupted - the ability of T cells to “mark” foreign cells in a certain way, making them a target for other immune cells. As a result, any bacteria and viruses can enter the body, and the immune system, which is unable to recognize them and give an adequate immune response, will continue to be inactive, that is, acquired human immunodeficiency syndrome - AIDS develops. Progressing, it leads to the development of multiple organ failure, seeding of internal organs when contagious microorganisms enter.

As a result, there is the development of severe forms of infectious diseases that are difficult to respond to drug therapy, which eventually leads to death.

Diagnosis of the presence of HIV infection is difficult due to the prevalence of symptoms common to many diseases. In the later stages, it is easier to suspect the presence of HIV infection, however, treatment with the development of AIDS no longer gives the desired effect and is palliative and symptomatic.

In order to prevent the development of AIDS, it is necessary to timely and competently determine the presence of HIV in the body and take the necessary measures to eliminate it.

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Diagnosing HIV in Patients

Unfortunately, not everyone knows how to take a blood test for HIV, who to contact. The condition is also aggravated by the fact that people who are sexually promiscuous and do not care about the safety of both their own and their partner are in no hurry to seek help from doctors, believing that all the symptoms that bother them are the result of overwork, malnutrition or stress.

Early (timely) treatment of patients contributes to the early diagnosis and increase the likelihood of recovery with adequate treatment.

Before taking an HIV test, be sure to consult a therapist about this condition. It is recommended to take this analysis on your own if there are primary symptoms for a month or more.

In the early stages of the disease, specific studies are extremely rare due to the blurring of the clinical picture and the absence of specific symptoms. Conducting ELISA, PCR and blotting becomes indicated in the presence of such signs as prolonged subfebrile temperature (at least for a month), progressive weight loss of more than 10% with normal nutrition, prolonged causeless diarrhea. These clinical signs should be regarded as the beginning of the development of the acute stage of HIV.

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Analysis collection process

How is an HIV test done? In response to the penetration of HIV into the body, specific molecules - antibodies - begin to be produced to some of its antigens. The period of their formation is usually about 3-6 weeks after infection. In severe cases (previous immunodeficiency, end-stage disease), the time of their formation can take up to 12-14 weeks.

It should be remembered that blood is the main source of viral particles (infection through contact with the blood of a patient develops AIDS in 90% of cases). Therefore, it is extremely important to comply with the necessary safety precautions and rules for blood sampling. It is necessary to donate blood correctly, otherwise the result will be false.

The study, if it is carried out by ELISA, is best done 1.5-2 months after unprotected sexual contact. It makes no sense to conduct a study before, since the necessary antibodies have not yet formed in the blood, but it is not worth delaying, as the disease can progress.

Considering some “intimacy” of the disease, it is possible to conduct a blood test for HIV in any laboratory that has the necessary reagents for laboratory research in conditions of complete anonymity. The result is usually issued within 10 calendar days.

For the study, venous blood is used, the sampling of which is carried out under sterile and aseptic conditions. Be sure to stop eating any food before conducting the study.

The main method for diagnosing HIV infection is enzyme immunoassay. This reaction is based on the principle of labeling specific cells (in this case, antibodies to the immunodeficiency virus). Specific molecules are injected into the obtained blood sample, similar in structure to the immunodeficiency virus. These molecules are labeled with a special enzyme, which is activated as a result of the binding of the molecule to the antibody and gives a specific glow reaction visible under a microscope.

The advantage of this reaction is also its relative simplicity, the possibility of carrying it out in outpatient and inpatient medical institutions, the relative cheapness and high speed of obtaining the results of the study. Due to this, enzyme immunoassay is used as a screening method for detecting HIV infection.

The main disadvantage of this type of reaction is its hypersensitivity. The reaction can give a false positive result during pregnancy, persistence in the body of another viral infection, or when the patient is exhausted. To clarify the result, a second study of the analysis by ELISA is carried out, and if it shows a positive result, they resort to the second stage of the study - clarification using immune blotting.

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PCR method for HIV testing

A more reliable research method is the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This technique is aimed at identifying the genetic material of the virus from a blood test. The essence of the study is the formation of specific DNA fragments characteristic of the immunodeficiency virus. If these fragments are detected in the existing blood sample, it can be judged that the immunodeficiency virus is present in the blood.

This study rarely misrepresents the nature of the pathogen. Errors are possible when the disease has developed under the influence of another microorganism from the retrovirus family.

However, this technique has not been widely used in the diagnosis of HIV infection due to the complexity of the procedure and due to the fact that viruses in the blood are located inside lymphocyte cells, which makes it difficult to isolate genetic material for research.

At the first stage of diagnosis, it is necessary to obtain at least two positive samples for HIV using enzyme immunoassay. If the detection of the virus is confirmed by ELISA, resort to the second stage - blotting.

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Immunoblotting as a way to diagnose HIV

How is an HIV blood test done using immunoblotting? This reaction is based on passing an electric current through a solution with a patient's blood sample. As a result of the effect of electrophoresis, the distribution of blood protein fractions occurs, including immunoglobulins. In the presence of a high number of class G immunoglobulins specific for the immunodeficiency virus, the diagnosis is considered confirmed.

The diagnosis of AIDS is considered positive when a positive result is obtained at the second stage of the study - immunoblotting. If the ELISA showed the presence of the virus, but the result was not confirmed by immune blotting, the reaction is considered negative, and the person is healthy.

Contact with an HIV carrier does not always lead to the development of an infectious process. There were cases when the virus, entering the body, did not provoke the development of an infectious process, but was in a latent stage. Such a condition is regarded as a virus carrier and requires clarification of the nature of the microorganism and the necessary treatment.

In such people, the likelihood of developing the disease can be checked by conducting tests for viral load. Given that HIV can be in two variations, if possible, their number should be determined separately. For HIV class 1, a viral load of up to 2000 per ml of blood is considered relatively safe. HIV 2 can be found in somewhat larger quantities: it has been proven that their number up to 10,000 may not cause infection. Viral load above the above figures almost always leads to the development of an acute infectious process (50,000 or more viral units indicate the development of acute HIV infection).

A certain difficulty is the diagnosis of congenital AIDS and the transmission of HIV from mother to child. A feature of diagnosing HIV in children is that the first time after childbirth, the child's body does not produce its own antibodies, and maternal antibodies transmitted through the hematoplacental barrier from the mother circulate in its bloodstream. That is why HIV testing in children is carried out within two years of birth. The diagnosis is confirmed in the presence of a burdened anamnesis in the parents and with positive laboratory results.

Rarely, amniotic fluid puncture can be performed to detect perinatal pathology and congenital AIDS, but if possible, this intervention should be abandoned.

In some cases, it is possible to remove the diagnosis of HIV infection. It is applicable for children born to HIV-positive mothers, when the disappearance of specific antibodies to the virus was observed within 3 years from the moment of birth.

In adults, the diagnosis of AIDS is rarely removed, since in most cases, due to untimely diagnosis and inadequately prescribed treatment, a fatal outcome develops from the progression of concomitant diseases.

Less reliable signs of the development of HIV infection can be considered: a decrease in the number of leukocytes in a blood test, changes in the leukocyte formula, a decrease in the number of T-helpers. At later stages, there is a progressive decrease in all blood parameters, up to anemia, agranulocytosis, which makes the patient's body predisposed to the penetration of other infectious agents and the extremely severe course of these diseases.

Almost all studies are carried out on an empty stomach (at least 8 hours after the last meal), so you can drink a small amount of water in the morning to conduct tests. Tea and coffee is not water, please be patient. Testing involves quitting smoking an hour before the procedure.
Strictly on an empty stomach, more than 12 hours after the last meal: complete blood count, biochemical parameters (cholesterol, HDL, LDL, VLDL, triglycerides).
After 5-6 hours of fasting (the last meal should be light, without high fat content), you can take tests: for hormones (in the morning), antibodies to infections (during the day). Please note that a blood test for antibodies to infections reflects the state of immunity in relation to infection. With recent infection, the results may be negative. In doubtful cases, it is recommended to retake the test after 7-10 days (for toxoplasma, rubella and cytomegalovirus during pregnancy- confirmatory immunoblot study).

Analyzes during the day

Regardless of food intake(not necessarily on an empty stomach): genetic polymorphisms, including polymorphisms of hemostasis genes, vascular tone, cytokine gene polymorphisms, AZF factor, CYP-21 mutations, PCOS, CFTR gene, HLA typing.
After 3-4 hours of fasting you can take tests for hCG, antibodies to infections in the blood, tests for HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B and C, blood type, Rh factor, antibodies to the Rh factor, anti-group antibodies, autoantibodies (from the autoantibody panel), prenatal screening, tumor markers .
During the days and hours of the CIR tests are given for PCR diagnostics of infections, sowing of the vaginal discharge (including sowing for mycoplasma and ureaplasma), microscopy of a smear from the vagina and cervix, microscopy of a swab from the pharynx, Pap smear, mucus for the Kurzrock-Miller test.
The norms of laboratories are calculated for morning indicators. Only until 11 o'clock in the morning are tests for TSH, parathyroid hormone, iron(the value of the indicators changes significantly during the day).
The day before the test, avoid stress, physical exertion, changing the daily routine and changes in diet, drinking alcohol.
It is desirable that the tests were taken in a calm state. Therefore, if you were in a hurry or worried on the way to the treatment room, it is recommended to sit for 20-30 minutes before donating blood. Attention! Before some tests ACTH, cortisol, growth hormone or growth hormone) you need to completely calm down and relax. Please sit in the reception area for 30-40 minutes.
A study on PSA (PSA) is carried out no earlier than 7 days after any mechanical effects on the prostate (massage, biopsy, etc.)
Studies are carried out outside of taking medications or 11-14 days after they are canceled (except when allowed by a doctor). In the questionnaire, be sure to indicate the names and mode of medications taken.
Some tests need to be taken only on the days when it is prescribed by the doctor (for example, hormones of the female reproductive system, EFORT test, on certain days of the cycle; some - according to the gestational age). Please indicate in the questionnaire the day of the cycle, the duration of pregnancy.
Repeated studies are best performed in the same laboratory, as different methods of research and indicator standards are used in different laboratories.

Attention! There are procedures with special preparation and method of material sampling.