Post-exposure prophylaxis

From WikiMD.org
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Post-exposure prophylaxis (pronunciation: post-eks-po-zher pro-fuh-lak-sis) is a preventive medical treatment started immediately after exposure to a pathogen (such as a disease-causing virus), in order to prevent infection from occurring.

Etymology

The term "post-exposure prophylaxis" is derived from the Latin post meaning "after", the Greek exposio meaning "exposure", and the Greek prophylaxis meaning "prevention".

Definition

Post-exposure prophylaxis, often abbreviated as PEP, involves the administration of therapeutic agents after exposure to a pathogen, with the aim of preventing infection. This is often used in relation to exposure to HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C, but can also be used in the context of other infectious diseases.

Usage

PEP is commonly used in healthcare settings when healthcare workers are potentially exposed to pathogens in the course of their work. It is also used in cases of potential sexual, needlestick, or other exposure to HIV outside of healthcare settings.

Related Terms

See Also

External links

Esculaap.svg

This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.


Languages: - East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski