Human immunodeficiency virus seroprevalence among adults treated for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Seattle, Washington, 1989-1993.

Abstract

To estimate the potential risk of HIV exposure for those providing emergency care for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Seattle, Washington, by surveying the seroprevalence of HIV in the patient population. We surveyed the seroprevalence of HIV among 1,474 persons treated for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest by paramedics during the years 1989 through 1993. Blood specimens were obtained at the site of cardiac arrest, stripped of personal identifiers, and tested for HIV-1 and HIV-2 by enzyme immunoassay and Western blot. Among the 1,011 men, 8 (.8%, 95 percent confidence interval .3% to 1.4%) were seropositive for HIV-1 during this 5-year period; all 8 were younger than age 55. No serologic evidence of HIV infection was detected among the 463 women. The seroprevalence of HIV in this population was relatively low. Risk of possible HIV transmission during paramedic treatment was remote.