HIV and ID Observations

January 29th, 2010

More on TaqMan Viral Load Testing

Since I first discussed the disruptive effect of introducing Mr. TaqMan to our clinic, many others have weighed in. One of my favorite reports is a nice paper from the Alabama group, presented first at IDSA, and soon to be published.  It shows not only a higher rate of low-level detectable results, but also the increased […]

---

March 4th, 2009

TaqMan HIV RNA Assay: Be Careful What You Wish For

At our hospital lab, we recently switched from the bDNA viral load assay to the new Roche TaqMan real-time PCR test.  The virologist in charge of our lab and the tech both agreed the assay was more accurate, more sensitive, and easier to do — so much so that we could increase the frequency of […]

---

October 9th, 2017

What Should We Do About Persistent Low-level Viremia?

Here’s a most entertaining email about a tricky case (some details changed for the usual reasons), with my annotations in brackets: Subject: Regimen intensification? Hi Paul: Long-time reader, first time caller. [Love that intentional mixed metaphor — should we start a radio talk show?] We have a pt who was on TDF/FTC/EFV for a decade. He was […]

---

January 11th, 2011

Revised DHHS Guidelines, and Some Thoughts on Guidelines in General

As another major snow storm barrels in on us, you might have time over the next 24-48 hours to make some hot chocolate, throw some logs on the fire, and read the spanking-new 2011 Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) HIV Treatment Guidelines, just posted here on the AIDSinfo web site. (Disclosure: I’m on the […]

---