Bloodborne infections
Bloodborne diseases are all diseases that can be transferred by blood contaminated items etc. Syringes, needles, scalpels. Blood can have various types of pathogens such as bacteria, Parasites and viruses. Most prominent bloodborne viruses are: HBV, HCV, HIV
Transmission of Bloodborne pathogens:
Unintentional puncture from needles or broken glass
Sharing of hypodermic needles
Broken skin exposure to contaminated blood
Direct contact of the blood to the eyes, nose or mouth
Occupational exposure:
No wonder that medical staff are the highest people at risk for getting infected including doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and laboratory technicians.
And for that Occupational safety and health administration (OSHA) has put 5 rules for hospitals to follow in order to decrease the number of infected healthcare staff:
Written exposure control plan
Engineering controls (Sharps containers, detachable and retractable needles, syringe caps, etc.)
Safe Work Practices and Safety Devices
Hepatitis B vaccine available to employees
Education and post-exposure follow up
Prevention:
First we have to follow the hospital’s policy prior doing any procedure involving blood.
All PPE shall be worn especially disposable gloves
A hierarchy of controls can help to prevent environmental and occupational exposures and subsequent diseases. These include:
Elimination: Physically remove hazards, including needles that lack a safety device. Additionally, eliminate the use of needle devices whenever safe and effective alternatives are available.
Substitution: Replace needles without safety devices with ones that have a safety feature built in. This has been shown to reduce bloodborne diseases transmitted via needlestick injuries.
Engineering controls: Isolate people from the hazard by providing sharps containers for workers to immediately place needles in after use.
Administrative controls: Change the way people work by creating a culture of safety such as avoiding recapping or bending needles that may be contaminated and promptly disposing of used needle devices and other sharps.
References:
Massachusetts Department of Public Health Occupational Health Surveillance Program. (2010) Sharps Injuries among Hospital Workers in Massachusetts, 2010
S. Deuffic-Burbana, E. Delarocque-Astagneauc, D. Abitebould, E. Bouvetd, Y. Yazdanpanah Blood-borne viruses in healthcare workers: Prevention and management. Journal of Clinical Virology
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ahmed-nasser-b4681615b
Great!
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