Researchers looked at the varied performace of rapid point-of-care HIV tests versus traditional laboratory testing in detecting both new/acute and established HIV infections. While some rapid tests were found to perform well, oral fluid rapid tests were found to have less accuracy in detecting HIV. However, the advent of the 4th generation combo test could improve the ability to detect acute HIV quickly without waiting for a confirmatory test.
Citation:
Pilcher CD, Louie B, Facente S, Keating S, Hackett J Jr, Vallari A, Hall C, Dowling T, Busch MP, Klausner JD, Hecht FM, Liska S, Pandori MW. Performance of rapid point-of-care and laboratory tests for acute and established HIV infection in San Francisco. PLoS One. 2013 Dec 12;8(12):e80629.