Occupational exposure: Organizing ED care to determine rapid postexposure prophylaxis within hours instead of days

Abstract

Health care workers are frequently exposed to blood and body fluids that pose a risk for occupational exposure (OE) to infectious disease including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B (HBV), and hepatitis C (HCV). The incidence of seroconversion following an OE is approximately 0.3% for HIV, 2% to 40% for HBV, and 2.7% to 10% for HCV.1 Although the conversion incidence is low, the potential for contracting an incurable disease creates varying levels of emotional stress for health care workers (HCWs).