Knowledge of the possibilities of post - exposure prophylaxis for HIV infection

Aim To investigate knowledge of nurses, laboratory techniciansand nursing students about possibilities of post-expositionalprophylaxis after occupational exposure to HIV infection,as well as an impact of the knowledge obtained during educationand professional career in relation to this problem.Methods The study was conducted using an anonymous questionnaireamong 232 respondents. Respondents were nursesand laboratory technicians, employed at the Clinical Centreof Vojvodina, and nursing students of the School of Medicineof Novi Sad. For the data analysis χ2 test was used, and p<0.05was used as statistically significant.Results Nursing students, nurses from infectology and generalinternal departments, and laboratory technicians were verywell aware of potential risks of occupational exposure to HIVinfections, while nurses within the surgical departments hadundergone a very small percentage of any training in this field.Conclusion Knowledge of this issue is still not satisfactoryenough among the nurses and laboratory technicians. As thisresearch showed, it is most important to ensure the educationof nurses within the surgical department, and continuous educationregarding this issue.