[Some ideas for taking in charge accidental blood exposures in the French blood establishment]

H Renard1

  • 1EFS Alpes-Méditerranée, centre hospitalier des Escartons, avenue Adrien-Daurelle, 05105 Briançon, France. hrenard@wanadoo.fr

Accidental blood exposures (ABE) are one of the most important problems when talking about industrial accidents in institutions such as the French blood establishment. The three major viruses concerned by these exposures are the AIDS virus (HIV) and Hepatitis viruses: HIV; HCV and HBV. There are universal prevention's ways for the three viruses, a vaccination way for Hepatitis B, and a way of prophylaxis, using triple therapy, for HIV. For the best taking in charge of ABE, it is important to be able to assess quickly the risk, using serology of the source (blood donor or patient), to be able, if needed, to treat with triple therapy, within two hours, members of staff exposed to HIV, and to be able to follow-up these persons in the next four months. French blood establishment has very certainly a critical role in this strategy of prevention, following-up and, above all, taking in charge in the very first therapeutic instants.

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