A dental hygiene practitioner experiences a percutaneous exposure with a large-bore hollow needle while performing irrigation on a patient. Before undergoing care, the patient had stated that he had never been tested for HIV, but that he had used injection drugs in the distant past. What is the best course of action?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This scenario illustrates a possible bloodborne exposure. Because this patient has risk factors for HIV, anyone with blood exposure should be considered candidates for HIV prophylaxis. The healthcare provider should be counseled about the risks of PEP toxicity and of HIV seroconversion. While it may be appropriate to delay PEP while HIV testing is obtained, and therefore avoid possible PEP-related toxicity, most would likely error towards preventing HIV especially in high-risk cases. Therefore, two-agent PEP should be considered while HIV tests are being obtained.

A Dental Hygiene Practitioner Experiences a Percutaneous Exposure with a Large-Bore