Human Immunodeficiency Virus Seroprevalence Among Adults Treated for Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Seattle, Washington, 1989–1993, , ,

Study objective: To estimate the potential risk of HIV exposure for those providing emergency care for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Seattle, Washington, by surveying the seroprevalence of HIV in the patient population. Methods: We surveyed the seroprevalence of HIV among 1,474 persons treated for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest by paramedics during the years 1989 through 1993. Blood specimens were obtained at the site of cardiac arrest, stripped of personal identifiers, and tested for HIV-1 and HIV-2 by enzyme immunoassay and Western blot. Results: Among the 1,011 men, 8 (.8%, 95 percent confidence interval .3% to 1.4%) were seropositive for HIV-1 during this 5-year period; all 8 were younger than age 55. No serologic evidence of HIV infection was detected among the 463 women. Conclusion: The seroprevalence of HIV in this population was relatively low. Risk of possible HIV transmission during paramedic treatment was remote. [Weinmann S, Siscovick DS, Raghunathan TE, Handsfield H, Copass M, Cobb LA: Human immunodeficiency virus seroprevalence among adults treated for out-of-patient cardiac arrest in Seattle, Washington, 1989–1993. Ann Emerg Med August 1998; 32:148-150.]