Does emergency medicine perform rabies post-exposure prophylaxis?

Rabies post-exposure prophylaxis, often called PEP, is urgent preventive care after a possible exposure to saliva or nervous tissue from an infected or potentially infected animal. The team will ask about the animal, the contact, the wound and whether the animal can be observed or tested. Care may include thorough wound washing, a rabies vaccine course and rabies immunoglobulin for some exposures. The exact plan depends on the exposure and previous vaccination.

Wash a bite, scratch or saliva-contaminated wound with soap and running water as soon as possible, then seek urgent medical assessment. Do not wait for symptoms to appear and do not try to catch an unfamiliar animal. Note the animal’s species, location, appearance and time of contact if it is safe to do so. Tell the clinician about previous rabies vaccination, immune problems and medicines.

Obtain urgent assessment after a bite or scratch that breaks skin, saliva entering the eyes or mouth, or contact with an open wound. Risk also depends on the animal and where the exposure occurred. Seek immediate help for a deep wound, uncontrolled bleeding, facial or hand injury, breathing difficulty or signs of infection. Do not delay because the wound appears minor; rabies prevention is considered before symptoms develop.

Ask whether the contact counts as a rabies exposure, whether vaccination or immunoglobulin is needed, when each dose is due, and how the wound should be followed. Ask what to do if the animal is found, becomes ill or cannot be observed, and which wound changes require review.