title: Prescribing prophylaxis to patients who have been exposed to HIV.
abstract: Emergency nurse practitioners should be prepared to prescribe post-exposure prophylaxis for sexual exposure (PEPSE) to people who may have been exposed to HIV, even where the number of such presentations is small. As this article makes clear, nurse prescribers require a sound knowledge of the drugs recommended in PEPSE protocols, and of their side effects, to relieve patients' anxiety and inform them about safe sexual practice. The article offers a case study and reflection to show that patients, particularly those who may have been exposed to HIV, who have been given the information they want are more likely to complete their courses of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. suebagley@nhs.net
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bagley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016529:Emergency Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009722:Nurse Practitioners; D056990:Post-Exposure Prophylaxis / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents