If an EIA screening test for anti-HIV-1/2 is reactive, but retesting is nonreactive, what is the donor's status?

If an EIA screening test for anti-HIV-1/2 is reactive, but retesting is nonreactive, what is the donor's status?

• A. Cleared for donation
• B. Deferred for 6 months
• C. Status is dependent on confirmatory test
• D. Deferred for 12 months

Answer: (A)

When an EIA (Enzyme Immunoassay) screening test for anti-HIV-1/2 is reactive, it indicates the presence of antibodies to HIV, suggesting potential exposure to the virus. However, it is crucial to understand that a reactive screening test is not definitive for infection; it requires confirmation through additional testing. If retesting yields a nonreactive result, it implies that the initial reactive result may have been a false positive. This scenario typically indicates that the donor does not have antibodies to HIV, suggesting that they are not infected with the virus. Therefore, this person's status is interpreted as cleared for donation, since they do not pose a risk of transmitting HIV through blood. In this context, the donor can be cleared for donation because the nonreactive result after a reactive screening demonstrates no evidence of active infection or risk of HIV transmission. Confirmatory tests are ideally carried out to support the screening results, but when faced with a reactive screening and a subsequent nonreactive result, the conclusion reached is that the donor is not infected and can safely donate.

When an EIA (Enzyme Immunoassay) screening test for anti-HIV-1/2 is reactive, it indicates the presence of antibodies to HIV, suggesting potential exposure to the virus. However, it is crucial to understand that a reactive screening test is not definitive for infection; it requires confirmation through additional testing.

If retesting yields a nonreactive result, it implies that the initial reactive result may have been a false positive. This scenario typically indicates that the donor does not have antibodies to HIV, suggesting that they are not infected with the virus. Therefore, this person's status is interpreted as cleared for donation, since they do not pose a risk of transmitting HIV through blood.

In this context, the donor can be cleared for donation because the nonreactive result after a reactive screening demonstrates no evidence of active infection or risk of HIV transmission. Confirmatory tests are ideally carried out to support the screening results, but when faced with a reactive screening and a subsequent nonreactive result, the conclusion reached is that the donor is not infected and can safely donate.