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Needlestick injury; Other names: Percutaneous injury, percutaneous exposure incident, sharps injury: A sharps container is a recommended method for collecting needles while reducing the risk of needlestick injuries: Specialty: Emergency medicine, Infectious disease
Post-exposure prophylaxis, also known as post-exposure prevention (PEP), is any preventive medical treatment started after exposure to a pathogen in order to prevent the infection from occurring. It should be contrasted with pre-exposure prophylaxis , which is used before the patient has been exposed to the infective agent.
A course of antiretrovirals administered within 48 to 72 hours after exposure to HIV-positive blood or genital secretions is referred to as post-exposure prophylaxis. [52] The use of the single agent zidovudine reduces the risk of subsequent HIV infection fivefold following a needle stick injury. [52]
The more effective safety syringes have reuse and needlestick prevention features. A sheath or hood slides over the needle after the injection is completed with a Needlestick Prevention Syringe, which also has a re-use prevention feature (either an auto disable mechanism or breaking plunger).
The use of these agents should be considered in individuals exposed to doses above 1.5 Gy, should be given to those who develop fever and neutropenia and should be administered within 48 hours of exposure. An estimation of the exposure dose should be done by biological dosimetry whenever possible and by detailed history of exposure.
This risk, in fact, is of a similar order to that from a needle-stick injury (around 3 per 1000), for which post exposure prophylaxis is now routine treatment. [19] The average risk of HIV infection from unprotected anal sex is considerably higher, though, at around 5.30 per 1000.
OSHA safety regulations require that needles or tube holders come equipped with a safety device to cover the needle after the procedure to prevent accidental needle stick injury. [7] Fittings and adapters used to fill evacuated tubes from butterfly needle kits and syringes are also available. [citation needed]
Efavirenz is also used in combination with other antiretroviral agents as part of an expanded post-exposure prophylaxis regimen to reduce the risk of HIV infection in people exposed to a significant risk (e.g. needlestick injuries, certain types of unprotected sex, etc.). [11] [12]