Clinical Outcomes of Post-exposure Prophylaxis following Occupational Exposure to Human Immunodeficiency Virus at Dental Departments of Hiroshima University Hospital

T Shintani; T Iwata; M Okada; M Nakaoka; N Yamasaki; T Fujii; H Shiba

doi:10.2174/1570162X18666200804151118

Clinical Outcomes of Post-exposure Prophylaxis following Occupational Exposure to Human Immunodeficiency Virus at Dental Departments of Hiroshima University Hospital

Curr HIV Res. 2020;18(6):475-479. doi: 10.2174/1570162X18666200804151118.

Authors

T Shintani¹, T Iwata², M Okada³, M Nakaoka³, N Yamasaki^{4

5}, T Fujii^{4

5}, H Shiba^{1

6}

Affiliations

¹ Center of Oral Clinical Examination, Hiroshima University Hospital, Japan
² Department of Periodontal Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical & Sciences, Hiroshima University, Japan
³ Division of Dental Hygiene, Department of Clinical Practice and Support, Hiroshima University Hospital, Japan.
⁴ Division of Blood Transfusion, Hiroshima University Hospital, Japan
⁵ AIDS Care Unit, Hiroshima University Hospital, Japan
⁶ Department of Biological Endodontics, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, 734-8553, Japan

Abstract

Background: Dental professionals have so many opportunities to use injection needles and sharp instruments during dental treatment that they face an increased risk of needlestick injuries. This retrospective study reports the utilization and clinical outcomes of occupational post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) with anti-retroviral agents after being potentially exposed to HIV at the dental departments of Hiroshima University Hospital.

Objective: This study reports the utilization and clinical outcomes of occupational post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) with antiretroviral agents after being potentially exposed to HIV at dental departments of Hiroshima University Hospital.

Methods: Data on the clinical status of HIV-infected source patients and information on HIV-exposed dental professionals from 2007 to 2018 were collected.

Results: Five dentists with an average experience of 5.6 years (1-15 years) were exposed. The averaged CD4-positive cell number and HIV-RNA load were 1176 (768-1898) /μl and less than 20 copies/ml, respectively, in all the patients. Two of the five HIV exposed dentists received PEP. Three months after the exposures, all of their results were negative in HIV antibody/antigen tests.

Conclusion: ; These data might support the concept of "undetectable equals untransmittable", although HIV exposure in this study was not through sexual transmission.

Keywords: HIV; U=U; dental treatment; needlestick injury; occupational exposures; post-exposure prophylaxis.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Anti-HIV Agents / therapeutic use*
Anti-Retroviral Agents / therapeutic use*
Dental Clinics / statistics & numerical data
Dentists / statistics & numerical data
Female
HIV Infections / drug therapy*
Hospitals, University / statistics & numerical data
Humans
Japan
Male
Middle Aged
Needlestick Injuries / drug therapy*
Occupational Exposure / prevention & control*
Post-Exposure Prophylaxis / methods*
Retrospective Studies
Risk Factors

Substances

Anti-HIV Agents
Anti-Retroviral Agents

Grants and funding

This research was financially supported by Research Grants received from Hiroshima Prefecture (2014-2020) for the construction of a dental practice network for HIV-infected people in Chugoku and Shikoku Blocks in Japan.