Transient Viremia in HIV-Infected Patients and Use of Plasma Preparation Tubes

Stosor, Valentina Jr.
Palella, Frank J.
Berzins, Baiba
Till, Michele
Leake, Angel
Chmiel, Joan S.
Murphy, Robert L.

¹Division of Infectious Diseases, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
²Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois

Presented in part: 12th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, Boston, Massachusetts, February 2005 (abstract 4-130).

Reprints or correspondence: Dr. Valentina Stosor, Div. of Infectious Diseases, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 676 N. St. Clair St., Ste. 200, Chicago, IL 60611 ([email protected]).

Received 18 April 2005; accepted 20 July 2005

Clinical Infectious Diseases 41(11):p 1671-1674, December 1, 2005. | DOI: 10.1086/498025

Using plasma preparation tubes for the collection and storage of plasma resulted in factitious, low-level human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) viremia among patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy who incurred unnecessary additional clinic visits, laboratory testing, and medication changes. We caution clinicians against the routine use of plasma preparation tubes for collection of blood samples for HIV-1 level 1 quantification.