HIV testing and indicator conditions
Revise when to offer HIV testing, common indicator conditions, late diagnosis clues, confidentiality, consent and how infection risk is presented in primary care stems.
MRCGP AKT infectious diseases and travel health revision
Infectious-disease questions test whether you can spot risk, escalation and prevention clues quickly: HIV indicator conditions, hepatitis testing, immunisation, antimicrobial stewardship and fever in the returning traveller.
Quick answer
For AKT infectious diseases and travel health revision, prioritise HIV testing, hepatitis B and C, immunisation, travel vaccines, malaria prevention, fever in the returning traveller, antimicrobial stewardship, notifiable infections and sepsis recognition.
What to revise first
Hepatitis B and C
Know who is at increased risk, when to test, how abnormal LFTs or jaundice may be framed, vaccination principles and referral or specialist follow-up themes.
Immunisation
Cover routine and risk-based vaccines, incomplete records, immunosuppression, occupational exposure, pregnancy considerations and use of the UKHSA Green Book.
Travel health
Focus on pre-travel assessment, itinerary risk, malaria prevention, travel vaccines, returning traveller fever and when symptoms need same-day escalation.
Common infections and stewardship
Revise delayed or back-up antibiotics, antibiotic choice, local resistance, safety-netting, recurrent infection patterns and when not to prescribe.
Notifiable disease and outbreak thinking
Understand when notification, public-health advice, contact tracing, infection control or occupational-health input matters in an AKT-style scenario.
Red flags to recognise quickly
- Fever or acute systemic illness after travel to a malaria-risk area, especially with headache, confusion, jaundice or thrombocytopenia
- Suspected sepsis, meningitis, rapidly progressive rash, hypotension, altered consciousness or acute deterioration
- New HIV indicator condition, unexplained weight loss, recurrent infections, persistent lymphadenopathy or missed testing opportunity
- Jaundice, markedly abnormal LFTs, needle-stick exposure, high-risk blood exposure or suspected acute hepatitis
- Immunosuppressed patient with fever, persistent infection, unusual organism or poor response to standard treatment
- Suspected TB, meningococcal disease, measles or another infection where public-health action may be needed
Why infection questions catch candidates out
The trap is rarely a single fact. AKT stems often combine a common infection with a risk modifier: recent travel, pregnancy, immunosuppression, high-risk exposure, abnormal blood tests or a public-health duty. Train yourself to ask what changes the threshold, not just what antibiotic treats the symptom.
AKT infectious diseases and travel health FAQ
Is infectious diseases and travel health high yield for the MRCGP AKT?
Yes. Infectious diseases and travel health is a named RCGP curriculum topic. AKT questions can test HIV and hepatitis testing, immunisation, returning traveller fever, malaria prevention, antimicrobial stewardship and public-health thresholds.
What infectious disease topics should I revise for the AKT?
Prioritise HIV testing and indicator conditions, hepatitis B and C risk groups, immunisation schedules, travel vaccines, malaria prevention, fever in the returning traveller, notifiable infections, antimicrobial stewardship and sepsis recognition.
How does HIV testing come up in AKT questions?
HIV testing questions often test whether you recognise an indicator condition or risk context, offer a test clearly, handle consent and confidentiality properly, and avoid missing late-diagnosis clues in ordinary primary-care presentations.
What travel-health red flags are high yield for the AKT?
Know fever after travel to a malaria-risk area, acute confusion, jaundice, severe diarrhoea, haemodynamic instability, pregnancy, immunosuppression and symptoms that suggest sepsis or urgent same-day assessment.
Official sources
This is revision guidance, not official RCGP advice. Check current RCGP, NICE CKS, UKHSA and BNF guidance for clinical decisions. Last reviewed June 2026.
October sitting
Oct 26
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days
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