What to do when results of a Western blot test are indeterminate

Preview

The first medical contact made by a patient with human immunodeficiency virus infection is likely to be with a primary care physician. Thus, these physicians have the opportunity to make an early diagnosis and to institute treatment that can delay progression of asymptomatic disease. The authors summarize the steps needed to establish a diagnosis with enzyme immunoassay and Western blot testing, taking into account the lack of agreement on what constitutes a positive result.