Zidovudine prophylaxis after accidental exposure to HIV: the Italian experience. The Italian Study Group on Occupational Risk of HIV Infection.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the use of zidovudine prophylaxis in HIV-exposed health-care workers (HCW) in Italy and to determine its short-term toxicity.

DESIGN

Longitudinal, open study with retrospective and prospective collection of data.

SETTING

All Italian clinical centres that care for HIV-infected patients and are licensed by the Ministry of Health to dispense zidovudine and 30 hospitals participating in the Italian Multicentre Study on Occupational Risk of HIV Infection.

STUDY POPULATION

HCW and other individuals who accepted zidovudine prophylaxis after accidental exposure to HIV.

RESULTS

Data were collected for 224 HIV-exposed individuals until 30 June 1991. An increase in zidovudine prophylaxis was observed. All but 10 subjects received 1000-1250 mg zidovudine per day. Anaemia (five cases), neutropenia (one case) and an increase in serum alanine aminotransferase levels (two cases) were the only haematochemical side-effects observed; none of the subjects ceased prophylaxis because of side-effects. More than 50% of subjects had constitutional reactions; as a result, prophylaxis was stopped by 29 patients. These adverse effects began within 10 days of prophylaxis; all resolved after prophylaxis was stopped. No HIV-antibody seroconversions were observed after a mean follow-up of 8 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Zidovudine prophylaxis has become a feature of the management of occupational exposures to HIV in health-care settings; short-term toxicity is mild, dose-related and reversible. Further studies are needed to assess the risk of long-term sequelae.