Blood borne Pathogens

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Blood borne Pathogens
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Background

• Occupational Safety and Health Administration
  (OSHA)
• Blood borne pathogen standard developed December
  6, 1991
• Requires use of Standard Precautions
• Revisions increase prevention awareness
• Needle Stick Safety and Prevention Act of 2000

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What are Blood borne Pathogens?

• Microorganisms found in human blood, blood
  components and body fluids.
• Cause blood borne diseases in humans.
• Primary concerns
• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis C
• Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

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Who is at Risk?

• Health care workers
• Police officers
• Medical equipment personnel
• Correctional facility personnel
• Fire fighters

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How are They Transported?

• Contaminated needle-stick injuries
• Most efficient mode of transmission
• Contamination of eyes, mouth or other mucous
  membranes
• Contamination of non-intact skin (cuts, scrapes,
  burns, dermatitis)
• Job duties (first aid, drawing blood, CPR, blood
  spill clean-up)

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Hepatitis B (HBV)

• Virus infects liver cells causing acute/chronic
  liver disease
• People can be carriers of the virus

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HBV symptoms

• Some show no symptoms
• Mild flu-like illness
• Severe symptoms
• Fatigue, anorexia, nausea, dark urine, abdominal
  pain, fever, joint pain, jaundice

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HBV Vaccine

• Pre-exposure vaccination is the most effective
  preventative measure
• Vaccinations are free for employees with
  occupational exposure
• Consists of series of three doses over a period
  of three months
• Boosters
• CDC has no recommendation concerning boosters

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Hepatitis C (HCV)

• Most common blood borne pathogen in US
• Is primarily transmitted through repeated direct
  percutaneous exposures to blood
• Injection drug use
• Most acute cases are asymptomatic
• Chronic cases progress to cirrhosis or primary
  liver cancer
• Concurrent alcohol use significantly increases
  progression of disease

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HCV

• There is no vaccine for HCV
• Best prevented by following Standard/Universal
  Precautions
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Handwashing

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HIV

• The human retrovirus known to cause Acquired
  Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
• Primary transmission via sex, injection drug use
  and perinatally
• Symptoms
• Flu-like symptoms initially then can become
  dormant (not active)

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Exposure

• Report
• Per departmental reporting policy
• Lab testing
• Per OSHA recommendations
• Post exposure treatment to prevent or inhibit
  infection
• Per exposure protocol

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Standard Precautions

• Fundamental concept
• All blood or body fluids are treated as
  potentially infectious
• Helps to prevent contact with blood or Other
  Potentially Infectious Material (OPIM)
• PPE
• Gloves, goggles, mask, hand washing

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Summary

• Questions?