Page 12 - Children Bookt.pdf

The diagnosis of paediatric HIV infection is likely if at least two major and at least two

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and HIV testing is recommended whenever possible.

Major signs
1. weight loss or abnormally slow growth
2. chronic diarrhoea (>1 month)
3. prolonged fever (>1 month)
Minor signs
1. Generalized lymph node enlargement
2. Oro-pharyngeal candidiasis
3. Recurrent common infections, such as ear infection, pharyngitis,
persistent cough
4. Generalized rash
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Laboratory Diagnosis of HIV infection in children 2

1. HIV serological testing will be used as a diagnostic assay for children aged 18

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;
nd
2 test using a different assay technique
2. If HIV virological testing is available, it will be used to diagnose HIV infection in
infants and children less than 18 months of age.
3. Well infants born to HIV infected mother should have HIV serological testing at
around 9 months of age (at the time of last immunization visit) and if reactive,
should have a virological testing if available to identify infected infants who need
ART. If virological testing is not available, repeat serological testing at 18 months
of age.
4. In sick infants in whom HIV infection is being considered as an underlying cause
of symptoms and signs, and virological testing is not available, HIV serological
testing will be performed and the clinical algorithm for presumptive clinical
diagnosis of HIV infection will be used for management. If available, HIV
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5. A breast feeding infant or child is at risk for acquiring HIV infection throughout
the entire breast feeding period. Breast feeding should not be stopped in order to
perform any kind of diagnostic HIV test. A positive virological test results should
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period after the complete cessation of breastfeeding is advised before testing;
only then can negative virological test results be assumed to reliably rule out HIV
infection. This applies to breastfeeding infants and children of all ages.

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