postexposureprophylaxis-blog

[postexposureprophylaxis-blog]

post exposure prophylaxis

PEP is any prophylactic (preventive) treatment started immediately after contact with blood or bodily fluid contaminated with a pathogen (such as a disease-causing virus), in order to prevent infection and the development of disease.

Although multiple diseases can be transmitted from contact with blood, the absolute most serious infections are hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and pep hiv. Fortunately, the risk of acquiring these infections is low.

To be able to come in contact with a blood borne pathogen, you'll want contact with blood, a visibly bloody fluid (i.e., phlegm or urine containing blood), or another bodily fluid (i.e., semen or vaginal secretions) that have an infectious organism (virus or bacteria). The blood or fluid must can be found in direct contact with some part of your body. A disease can enter your body through the bloodstream, open skin, or mucous membranes, which include the attention, mouth, or genitals. Contact with skin that's intact (without new cuts, scrapes, or rashes) poses no threat of infection.

Thus, contact with a blood borne pathogen is possible after:

A skin injury like a needle stick or cut with a sharp object and/or contact with a mucous membrane (including exposure through sexual intercourse, especially if an ulcer exists or vaginal/rectal tissues are injured) or non-intact skin.

What do I do after blood or body fluid exposure?

• Wash the location - The initial and most significant step after being confronted with blood or bodily fluids is to scrub the location well with soap and water. You can clean small wounds and punctures with an antiseptic such as for example an alcohol-based hand gel, since alcohol kills HIV, hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus. However, the alcohol may sting. For mucosal surfaces (mouth, nose), the location must be flushed with copious levels of water. Eyes must be flushed with saline or water. There's no evidence that expressing fluid by squeezing the wound will further reduce the risk of blood borne infection.

Exactly what do the physician do after implementing medical measures?

• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) - Treatments are available to cut back the risk of becoming infected with HIV after exposure. Previous studies have suggested that the usage of an anti-HIV medication, reduced the already low threat of healthcare workers becoming infected with HIV by about 81% (but perhaps an increased rate of prevention with the new anti-HIV agents available). The danger of becoming infected with HIV consequently of other forms of exposure (i.e., trauma, rape) might be even below the risk of infection after a hook stick.

Anyone who's confronted with potentially infected blood or bodily fluids must be tested for hiv pep singapore during the time of exposure (baseline) and at six weeks, 90 days, and 6 months post exposure. The baseline HIV test is essential (and required) to document that the HIV infection was not already present during the time of the incident. Experts from the United States Center for Disease Control recommend use of medications to cut back the risk of HIV infection if every one of the following criteria are met:

• Exposure occurred less than 72 hours previously

• More than one of the next areas were exposed: the vagina, rectum, eye, mouth, or other mucous membrane, open skin, through the skin (i.e., from the sharp object or needle)

• More than one of the next bodily fluids were mixed up in exposure: blood, semen, vaginal secretions, rectal secretions, breast milk, or any body fluid that's visibly contaminated with blood.