title: Outcomes of a Postexposure Prophylaxis Program at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Ghana: A Retrospective Cohort Study.
abstract: The risk for occupational exposure to HIV is a serious public health problem that is well characterized in the developed world, but less so in the developing countries such as Ghana. This study was undertaken to examine the characteristics of occupational exposure to HIV and the utilization of a risk assessment system (RAS)-based postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) among health care workers (HCWs) and health care students (HCSs) in the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH). During the study period (January 2005-December 2010), a total of 260 and 35 exposures were reported by HCWs and HCSs, respectively. Ward attendants reported the highest incidence rate of 6.46 of 100 person-years (P-Y). The incidence of high-risk exposures was 0.33 of 100 P-Y (n = 65); 60.0% occurred during a procedure of disposing of a needle and 24.6% during a cannula insertion. A total of 289 of the 295 individuals were administered PEP, of which 181 (62.6%) completed the 6-month follow-up testing schedule and none sero-converted. This shows that with a good RAS in place, it is possible to deploy an effective PEP program in a typical African teaching hospital like the KBTH in Accra, Ghana.
authors.affiliation: Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands Pharmacy Department, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Korle-Bu, Accra, Ghana r_niiatetteh@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Raymond A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Tetteh
authors.affiliation: Centre for Tropical Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: Edmund T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Nartey
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lartey
authors.affiliation: Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Aukje K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Mantel-Teeuwisse
authors.affiliation: Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands Medicines Evaluation Board, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Hubert G M
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Leufkens
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Disease Control, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: Priscilla A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Nortey
authors.affiliation: Centre for Tropical Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: Alexander N O
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Dodoo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005869:Ghana / Q000453:epidemiology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D056990:Post-Exposure Prophylaxis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents
keywords: HIV risk exposures; health care workers; postexposure prophylaxis; risk assessment system