Third Trimester HIV Testing: Caring for Georgia, One Family At a Time
Title: Third Trimester HIV Testing: Caring for Georgia, One Family At a Time
- Identify the opportunities to effectively care for HIV/AIDS women in obstetric nursing care.
- Describe the steps involved in conducting HIV testing during the third trimester of pregnancy, to provide potentially effective treatment prior to delivery.
- Measure the number of HIV positive mothers and the infants impacted by preventative care.
With the progress made in infectious disease prevention, a mother’s HIV status does not mean her baby will have HIV as well. By testing mothers, initiating treatment prior to delivery and educating families, prevention of in-utero transmission is possible.
Proposed change:
Maternal outcomes are positively impacted by initiating early anti-viral administration, through third trimester HIV test results. Testing was offered to all women with the expectation of providing care prior to delivery.
Implementation, outcomes and evaluation:
- Education from Southeast AIDS Training and Education Center was utilized for pre-test counseling
- On-going in-service was conducted providing updates on test form completion, submission, and patient education
- Coordinated process between nursing staff, laboratory staff, and physicians ensured timely testing, results, and notifications to patients
- Comprehensive test forms were collected, verified for accuracy, and submitted to the Department of Public Health before the established deadline
The implementation of the Third Trimester HIV Testing established new guidelines and processes for conduction of HIV tests in the third trimester of pregnancy. The Labor and Delivery and Triage nurses provided comprehensive pre-test counseling, testing, and provided test results to the physician, who in turn provided the patient with results within one hour. By conducting HIV testing upon admission, immediate anti-viral treatment was initiated prior to delivery.
Implications for nursing practice:
As an active participant to improve the health of the local community, Columbus Regional Medical Center provided third trimester HIV testing to expectant mothers. Test results were made available within one hour as well as anti-viral and linkage to care protocols being made available to each patient on a continual basis. Early detection provided greater opportunities for positive outcomes for both mother and child.
Keywords: Regional Perinatal Center, third trimester testing, HIV, obstetrics, Georgia, high risk pregnancy