Post exposure prophylaxis [PEP] prevents the rabies virus from entering the central nervous system and hence is the emergency response to a rabies exposure
PEP includes; extensive wound washing with water and soap for at least 15 minutes soon after an exposure, a course of rabies vaccine; and if indicated rabies immunoglobulin administration or monoclonal antibodies into the wound
Hundreds of Australian travellers are bitten by dogs or monkeys and hence require postexposure prophylaxis.
In the event of a monkey bite, ambulance response time can be subject to disparity according to the district and other factors that influence the timeliness of emergency medical services and reports include variations from just under ten minutes, to over two hours.
If a patient receives definitive treatment in the first hour after an emergency, this is termed the golden hour theory (or, more scientifically, the “resuscitative hour”).
