HIV postexposure prophylaxis practices by US ED practitioners.
To determine how often US ED practitioners have prescribed HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (HIV PEP) and to discern how willing they are to offer it to patients, the authors surveyed 600 ED practitioners attending a national conference. According to their self-report, 11% had taken HIV PEP themselves. Sixty-eight percent had prescribed HIV PEP at some time. Of these, 92% had treated needlestick-injured health care workers, 48% sexual assault survivors, and 49% nonhealth care needlestick-injured persons. ED practitioners were more willing to offer HIV PEP after exposures to HIV-infected or high-risk sources than unknown or low- risk sources, as well as after sexual assault than consensual sex. Female practitioners, those who had themselves taken HIV PEP, resident physicians, and ED practitioners with fewer than 6 years of clinical practice were generally more apt to offer HIV PEP. Educational campaigns appear to be necessary to help ED practitioners determine when HIV PEP is appropriate.
Merchant
Roland C
RC
Department of Emergency Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA. merchant@lifespan.org
Keshavarz
Reza
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016602:Needlestick Injuries / Q000150:complications; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control; D010822:Physicians, Women; D012742:Sex Offenses; D014481:United States