Assessment of HIV viral load monitoring in remote settings in Vietnam - comparing people who inject drugs to the other patients
Lefrancois et al.
The finding, in our words
The study found that dried blood spot sampling for HIV viral load monitoring achieved high coverage over 24 months in remote settings in Vietnam, with no difference in access between people who inject drugs and other patients. However, virological failure was more common in people who inject drugs, those with poor adherence and those late to clinical visits, highlighting the need for targeted support to improve outcomes in decentralised care.
A paraphrase to the Library’s standard, never the abstract. The source is one link away and is always the authority.
The study found that self-collection of dried blood spots and other samples using at-home kits was a useful and cost-effective method for screening a large cohort for sexually transmitted infections outside a clinic. This demonstrates the feasibility of decentralised, patient-centric sampling for population-level infectious disease surveillance.
Mimiaga et al., Sexually transmitted infections (paywalled) · source ↗
The study validated a semi-quantitative protocol for Epstein-Barr virus serology using dried blood spots, demonstrating 98.8% sensitivity and 96.5% specificity compared to paired venous serum samples. The successful validation in a self-sampling cohort confirms the suitability of this patient-centric microsampling approach for large-scale seroprevalence studies and decentralised trials.
Dried blood spot sampling achieved high agreement with serum for anti-Trypanosoma cruzi antibody detection, supporting its use in decentralised settings; however, samples collected on Cobas Plasma Separation Cards showed lower antibody index values than serum and Whatman cards, which may reduce sensitivity in low-titre specimens.
In a pilot mixed-methods study of youth with HIV, mailed HemaSpot-HF kits enabled home-based dried blood spot collection that participants found feasible and acceptable, supporting remote viral load monitoring and a self-management model for decentralised care.
Gurung et al., AIDS and behavior (paywalled) · source ↗
Capillary samples collected using dried blood spots and Mitra microsamplers showed strong agreement with venous plasma for quantifying IgG antibodies against most vaccine-preventable diseases. Sensitivity was high for the majority of pathogens, though the study noted that antibody stability declined at room temperature over time, favouring cold storage for longer durations.
Ombati et al., Scientific reports (paywalled) · source ↗