THINGS WE DO FOR NO REASON™: ROUTINE CD4 TESTING IN HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS WITH HIV

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

CD4 testing is commonly performed for hospitalized patients with HIV, but this practice may not provide useful information and can lead to mischaracterization of a patient's immune status. The document argues that many patients are already on effective antiretroviral therapy, making changes in CD4 counts more indicative of transient conditions rather than disease progression. It suggests that a thorough clinical assessment should precede any decision to conduct CD4 testing, and outlines scenarios where testing may still be warranted.