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BASIC - PREVENTION |
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Health workers are exposed to high risk of contacting communicable diseases such
as AIDS while discharging their duties. The risk of contacting a disease becomes
higher if the health worker is not a professional or if they are dealing with percutaneous
(deep) injury such as a deep cuts and wounds. Though there are number of documented
cases of health workers getting AIDS while discharging their duties are
relatively small but much importance as being attach to such transmission and
hence, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has set up |
workers need to observe the universal precaution to
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some set of instructions (called the universal precautions) to help reduce
cases of blood-borne disease among health workers |
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However, Researchers also have not relented in their efforts to finding
solutions to such transmissions. This has however, led suggestion of a kind of
treatment for health workers who are being exposed to patients blood or other
high risk body fluid, this treatment is known as Post Exposure Prophylaxis
(PEP). The treatment is discharged by the use of an anti- HIV drugs like
zidovudine, lamivudine or nelfinavir in combination with other anti - HIV within
an hour of exposure. |
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| UNIVERSAL PRECAUTIONS |
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Below universal infection control precautions
are suggested by the World Health Organization (WHO) to help protect
health care workers against blood-borne infections like HIV:
- Wash hands with soap and water before and after procedures.
- Use protective barriers such as gloves, gowns aprons, masks, goggles for
- direct contact with blood and other body fluids.
- Disinfect instruments and other contaminated equipment.
- Handle properly soiled linen. (Soiled linen should be handled as little as
- possible. Gloves and leak proof bags should be used if necessary. Cleaning
- should occur outside patient areas, using detergent and hot water.)
- Use of new, single-use disposable injection equipment for all injections
is highly recommended. Sterilizable injection should only be considered if
single use equipment is not available and if the sterility can be
- documented with Time, Steam and Temperature indicators.
- Discard contaminated sharps immediately and without recapping in puncture
and liquid proof containers that are closed, sealed and destroyed before
completely full.
- Document the quality of the sterilization for all medical equipment used
for percutaneous procedures.
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| References |
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Surveillance of Healthcare Personnel with HIV/AIDS, as
of December 2002, CDC, reviewed December 2003,
accessed September 2004.
- HIV and AIDS: information and guidance in the
occupational setting, HPA, revised July 2003,
accessed September 2004.
- Universal Precautions, Including Injection Safety,
WHO, accessed September 2004.
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SECTION OUTLINE |
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- Definition: Gives a general insight into the
meaning of HIV/AIDS
- Transmission : How HIV is being transmitted
and stages of it's infection
- Zoonosis : Explains the phenomenon of
Animal to man transmission of HIV
- AIDS Myths : Some myths that are common about
AIDS
- Prevention : Outlines ways of
preventing AIDS
- Symptoms : Describes the how someone feels
when infected with AIDS of HIV
- Treatment : How AIDS victims ought to be
treated
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