[Question #10483] Follow up from Question #10428
 |
22 months ago
|
Hello.
This is a follow up to question #10428. I went ahead and performed a full STD panel of labs on 9/29 which is roughly 33 days post exposure. All labs came back normal. I did both the 4th Generation AgAb HIV test and repeated the HIV RNA (PCR) test. I was happy with the result and ready to move on.
I had a follow up with a family doctor today and he decided to rest me for EBV, CMV and he repeated the HIV RNA test. I asked him if this was necessary and suggested I didn’t feel it was necessary based on my HIV RNA test at 10 days and 33 days post exposure. He insisted to be “100%” in his words. So that would make it 41 days post exposure now.
Any idea why this was needed? I truly did not hint or suggest I wanted additional labs. In fact I shared my recent STD labs that I purchased on my own.
Thank you for your time and feedback.
 |
Edward W. Hook M.D.
22 months ago
|
Welcome back to the Forum. I'm afraid that on this occasion I have to disagree with your doctor. He may be being overly conservative or the information that he acted on is out of date. As I said earlier your combination of a negative PCR at day 10 or 11 plus a negative 4th generation test for HIV provides conclusive proof that you did not acquire HIV. I am confident that your repeat tests will be negative and and hope that you did not have to pay for the test.
As for the EBV and CMV tests, as I explained, that your prior EBV test results are reliable and that neither a positive EBV or CMV test would lead to any sort of therapy or change in advice to you now that you are well on the way to recovery. If you were my patient, while I might have discussed the possible causes of the mononucleosis syndrome with you, I would not have necessarily tested for these organisms and I certainly would not repeat them at this time.
Sorry to disagree with your doctor's assessment and approach. Different clinicians utilize tests for different reasons. EWH
--- |
22 months ago
|
Hi Doctor Hook. Thanks for taking my question.
Pout or clarification. I’ve never had a EBV or CMV test before.
I had an HIV RNA test at 10 days. My girlfriend had an HIV RNA test at 12 days. The female third was tested for all STDs including a 4th Generation HIV test and all were negative.
I then tested at 33 days for both HIV RNA test AND the HIV 4th Generation test (along with full STD panel). All were negative.
This was a young doctor who was right out of his residency and despite reviewing my results and the exposure decided to test me again using the HIV RNA test and included the EBV and CMV tests.
Yes, I will have to pay for these exams. I’m not clear as to why the HIV RNA was ordered at 41 days after producing 3 negative tests over the last 33 days?
|
Edward W. Hook M.D.
22 months ago
|
Thanks for the clarification. I misunderstood about the EBV and CMV tests. As I said, if they were positive, it may still be difficult to determine their relationship to any symptoms that you may have had and there would be no treatment other than just waiting for the symptoms to improve.
As for the HIV, there is simply no way that you could have HIV. Further testing was not necessary
There is a tendency for younger doctors to do more tests than are absolutely needed.
Not sure what more to say. Sorry. EWH
--- |
22 months ago
|
My Labcorp test results came back as < 20 for the HIV RNA test. That’s it . I’m scared out of my mind right now. My doctor is unavailable and there is no interpretation provided. Please help me.
|
Edward W. Hook M.D.
22 months ago
|
Every test has a lower limit of detection. This is a negative result proving that you don’t have HIV. If you had HIV the test would show thousands of copies of HIV RNA. this result simply confirms your previous tests which also showed that you were not infected.
This response completes this thread. There should be no need for additional questions. EWH
---