Table 1

A PICO framework to determine eligibility of the review question

Population (P)Pregnant and breast feeding women
Infants
Intervention (I)POC test for:

  • HIV

  • CD4

  • Viral Load

  • EID tests

  • Syphilis

  • Malaria

  • Group B streptococci

Comparison (C)Absence of POC diagnostics
Outcomes (O)Primary outcome: PMTCT
Secondary outcomes: HIV infection; syphilis infection; malaria, bacterial pneumonia; access to ART; access to HIV and syphilis treatment; linkage to care as defined by WHO; infant mortality; patient loss to follow-up, timely results

  • ART, antiretroviral therapy; EID, early infant diagnostic; PICO, population, intervention, comparison and outcome; PMTCT, prevention of mother-to-child transmission; POC, point-of-care.