Aim: This study aimed to analyze the demographic and clinical characteristics, exposure types, and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) management of patients presenting to the emergency department in Kırşehir due to rabies-risk contact. It also sought to identify factors influencing vaccination completion and to provide data that may guide public health interventions and policy planning.Method: This retrospective, descriptive study was conducted at Kırşehir Training and Research HospitalEmergency Department and included all patients who presented with suspected rabies exposure betweenMarch 1, 2022, and March 1, 2023. Patients with incomplete records or those who only received follow-upvaccine doses initiated elsewhere were excluded. Data was collected from hospital information systems andPEP registration logs. Statistical analyses were performed using chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests, with p <0.05 considered significant.Results: A total of 488 patients were included in the study. Male patients accounted for 55.5% of the cases.The majority of exposures were caused by cats (66.8%) and dogs (32.2%), with stray and unvaccinatedanimals responsible for most incidents (87.1%). The most frequently affected body parts were the right and left hands. Four vaccine doses were administered to 98.2% of patients, and immunoglobulin was given to 31.4%. Observation was performed in 12.7% of patients. A significant relationship was found between gender and type of attack, as well as between gender and animal species (p < 0.001).Conclusion: This study highlights that rabies-risk exposures in Kırşehir are predominantly associated withstray, unvaccinated cats, and that the right hand is the most injured region. Although PEP adherence was high, the lack of observation and limited infectious disease consultations highlight areas requiring improvement. Enhancing interdepartmental coordination, strengthening stray animal vaccination programs, and improving community education are essential for optimizing rabies prevention and control strategies in Turkey.
Amaç: Bu çalışma, Kırşehir’de kuduz riskli temas nedeniyle acil servise başvuran hastaların demografik veklinik özelliklerini, temas türlerini ve maruziyet sonrası profilaksi (post eksposure profilaksi- PEP) süreçlerinianaliz etmeyi amaçlamıştır. Ayrıca, aşı tamamlama oranlarını etkileyen faktörleri belirleme ve halk sağlığımüdahaleleri ile politika planlamalarına veri sağlamayı hedeflemiştir.Yöntem: Bu retrospektif, tanımlayıcı çalışma Kırşehir Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi Acil Servisi’ndeyürütülmüş olup, 1 Mart 2022 – 1 Mart 2023 tarihleri arasında kuduz şüphesiyle başvuran tüm hastalarıkapsamaktadır. Kayıtları eksik olan veya başka merkezde başlatılan aşıların devam dozlarını almak içinbaşvuran hastalar çalışma dışı bırakılmıştır. Veriler, hastane bilgi yönetim sistemi ve kuduz profilaksi kayıtdefterlerinden elde edilmiştir. İstatistiksel analizlerde ki-kare ve fishers exact testleri kullanılmış, p