Sterile Procedures
LESSON 1: Communicable Diseases
1-11
1-11. BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS: HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS AND HEPATITIS B VIRUS
a. Epidemiology.
(1) Approximately eight to ten million persons are thought to be infected with HIV world-wide. The incubation period is still unknown. Early symptoms are fatigue, low-grade fever, and general malaise.
(2) Less than five percent of the United States (US) population is reported to be HBV positive. The incubation period is usually 60--90 days with a range of 30--180 days; however, some cases have been reported ten years after initial exposure. HBV may be asymptomatic, detected through serologic tests. Early symptoms may be flu-like, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, and mild liver enlargement. Late symptoms include darkening urine, light-colored stool, jaundice, anorexia, and itching.
b. Transmission.
(1) For soldiers working in the health care environment, the most common means of exposure to bloodborne pathogens is through accidental needle-stick with contaminated blood or other body fluids.
(2) The second most common means of exposure in the workplace is contact by an open wound or non-intact skin (chapped or abraded skin) of a health care worker to contaminated blood, other body fluids, or concentrated virus.
(3) In the community, the most common means of transmission of HIV and HBV is through contaminated body fluids during sexual activity, especially semen and vaginal secretions.
c. Prevention.
(1) Universal precautions prevent health care workers from coming into contact with blood and other body fluids of patients. These precautions are methods of infection control in which all human blood and certain body fluids are treated as if known to be infectious for HIV, HBV, and other bloodborne pathogens. If there is any doubt, all body fluids are to be considered potentially infectious.
(2) There is a Hepatitis B vaccination available to all health care providers who have occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens. Vaccinations consist of a series of three inoculations over a six-month period. The vaccine is safe and effective,and it protects for up to five to seven years after the first inoculation.
