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IMPORTANT! HIV Exposure, do I need PEP?
Hi,
I am a dental student and I was working on an HIV infected patient about 3 hours ago. My arm brushed a sharp bur that I was using in the patient's mouth (some blood was present in the area I was working in). When I checked my arm through my gown, I saw a scratch but no blood. About 10 minutes later, I saw a tiny drop of blood on my arm in the area. I showed my professor and he said that I did not need PEP, but the scratch wasn't bleeding then.
Should I go to the hospital for PEP?
Thank you,
Nervous
I am a dental student and I was working on an HIV infected patient about 3 hours ago. My arm brushed a sharp bur that I was using in the patient's mouth (some blood was present in the area I was working in). When I checked my arm through my gown, I saw a scratch but no blood. About 10 minutes later, I saw a tiny drop of blood on my arm in the area. I showed my professor and he said that I did not need PEP, but the scratch wasn't bleeding then.
Should I go to the hospital for PEP?
Thank you,
Nervous
You have nothing to worry about. The only way you would be at any risk through work would be if you got a very deep and severe injury with a very large bore needle or sharp instrument, with exposure to a copious amount of blood. Even those situations would RARELY lead to infection.
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