Evaluation of a point-of-care rapid HIV antibody test with insights into acute HIV symptomatology in a population with low prevalence

Many emergency departments (ED) use rapid human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibody tests as screening tools, despite limited sensitivity for detecting acute HIV infections. In a 4-year retrospective analysis of 1,192 patients, we evaluated the performance of a third-generation rapid HIV antibody assay tested at point-of-care (POC, Chembio Sure Check HIV 1/2) against in-lab fourth-generation screening (Abbott Architect Ag/Ab Combo). Compared to complete algorithmic testing, the POC test demonstrated a 92.5% sensitivity (95% CI = 84.6–96.5), 98.1% specificity (95% CI = 97.1–98.8), 99.5% negative predictive value (NPV; 95% CI = 98.8–99.8), and a 77.9% positive predictive value (PPV; 95% CI = 68.6–85.1). Notably, the POC test failed to detect 100% (3/3) of acute HIV infections (defined as Fiebig stage 2) and 3.8% (2/52) established HIV infections, where viral loads were 5.9, 6.7, and >7 log₁₀ copies/mL. Symptoms such as fever, nausea/vomiting, malaise, headache, and photophobia were significantly associated with acute HIV infections diagnosed in the ED. The rapid HIV antibody test demonstrated high sensitivity, specificity, and NPV in our study population, reaffirming its effectiveness as a valuable screening tool. However, the low PPV and 100% failure to detect acute HIV infections underscore the importance of prioritizing in-lab fourth-generation HIV antigen/antibody combination immunoassays in cases of suspected acute HIV infection to ensure a timely and accurate diagnosis.