Outcomes of a Postexposure Prophylaxis Program at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Ghana: A Retrospective Cohort Study

The risk for occupational exposure to HIV is a serious public health problem that is well characterized in the developed world, but less so in the developing countries such as Ghana. This study was undertaken to examine the characteristics of occupational exposure to HIV and the utilization of a risk assessment system (RAS)–based postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) among health care workers (HCWs) and health care students (HCSs) in the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH). 

During the study period (January 2005–December 2010), a total of 260 and 35 exposures were reported by HCWs and HCSs, respectively. Ward attendants reported the highest incidence rate of 6.46 of 100 person-years (P-Y). The incidence of high-risk exposures was 0.33 of 100 P-Y (n = 65); 60.0% occurred during a procedure of disposing of a needle and 24.6% during a cannula insertion. A total of 289 of the 295 individuals were administered PEP, of which 181 (62.6%) completed the 6-month follow-up testing schedule and none sero-converted. 

This shows that with a good RAS in place, it is possible to deploy an effective PEP program in a typical African teaching hospital like the KBTH in Accra, Ghana.

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By:   Raymond A. Tetteh, MSc, FPC Pharm1,2⇑, Edmund T. Nartey, MPhil3, Margaret Lartey, MB ChB, MPH, FWACP4, Aukje K. Mantel-Teeuwisse, PharmD, PhD1, Hubert G. M. Leufkens, PharmD, PhD1,5, Priscilla A. Nortey, PhD, FPC Pharm6 ,Alexander N. O. Dodoo, PhD, FPC Pharm3

1. ¹Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
2. ²Pharmacy Department, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Korle-Bu, Accra, Ghana
3. ³Centre for Tropical Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana
4. ⁴Department of Medicine, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana
5. ⁵Medicines Evaluation Board, Utrecht, the Netherlands
6. ⁶Department of Epidemiology and Disease Control, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana

1. Raymond A. Tetteh, Pharmacy Department, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, P.O. Box KB 77, Korle-Bu, Accra, Ghana. Email: r_niiatetteh@yahoo.com

 

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