Objective: This study had aim to describe the management of occupational and sexual HIV exposure in the Toulouse teaching hospital.
Design: A prospective descriptive study was made of patients reporting with potential HIV exposure in Toulouse between 01/01/2000 and 12/31/2002.
Results: Six hundred and ninety three cases were reported, 236 after occupational and, 457 after sexual exposure. The frequency of sexual exposures increased with time. 61.2% of patients received post-exposure treatment and no seroconversion was diagnosed during their follow-up. Eighty-four percent of treated patients received three anti-retroviral drugs, with a protease inhibitor in 57%. Treatment was more frequently prescribed in sexual exposures than in occupational ones. For occupational exposures, the median time between exposure and consultation was 4 h and was decreased by spontaneous bleeding but not affected by source patient serostatus or injury deepness. Treatment was more frequent when injury was deep, when there was spontaneously bleeding, and when the source patient serostatus was positive or unknown. For sexual exposures, the median time between exposure and consultation was significantly superior to 4 h. That was diminished by positive source person serostatus but not affected by the partner's gender, nature of intercourse, or rape. Treatment was more frequently prescribed in case of positive or unknown source person serostatus, rape and homosexual intercourse.
Conclusions: Given the delay before consultation for sexual exposures and out of delay treatment in occupational exposures, discussion with health professionals on implementing procedures and means seems mandatory.