chapter 16 blood borne parhogens and principles of asepsis

Chapter 16 blood borne parhogens and principles of asepsis professional#

For instance, medical facilities must store any used (contaminated) sharps in purpose-built containers that are puncture proof and designed to eliminate the chance of accidental needlestick when used.īecause the risk posed by BBPs can be potentially fatal, any exposure to a blood borne pathogen is considered to be a reportable incident in the United States and other OHS jurisdictions. In addition, facilities that handle blood and OPIM are required to observe specific housekeeping standards which reduce the risk of inadvertent exposure to stored material. The specific requirements vary depending on the task, but generally require the PPE used to be sufficient to prevent any blood or OPIM from making contact with the skin. An estimated 385,000 injuries of this type occur every year in the United States.ĭue to the risks posed by these and other methods of exposure, OHS authorities require the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) during any instance in which there is a significant risk of exposure. One of the chief methods through which BBPs are transmitted from patient to HCW is through inadvertent cuts, punctures, and needlesticks from medical sharps that are contaminated by OPIM. In the context of occupational safety, HCWs include any person who works in a medical facility and faces a significant risk of exposure to potentially infectious materials, including unpaid volunteers.Īny incident in which infectious material comes into contact with an open wound is considered a hazardous exposure. The majority of occupational illness caused by BBPs occurs due to transmission of the illness from a patient to a healthcare worker (HCW). Due to the frequency of exposure to BBP and the potentially severe health consequences those exposures can cause, OHS authorities consider BBPs to pose a significant health risk.

In the United States, approximately 5.6 million workers are estimated to come into contact with BBPs every year. And any fluid where it the risk of the presence of blood is unknown.Cerebrospinal, pericardial, pleural, and peritoneal fluids.For example, during dental surgery a patient’s saliva is considered to be a potentially infectious material because there is a higher likelihood that the saliva would contain blood, which means that the saliva could pose a risk of exposure to a BBP. OPIM do, however, include saliva and feces in any instance in which an employer can reasonably expect blood to be carried in those fluids. Bodily fluids that do not carry an inherent risk of transmitting bloodborne pathogens, such as saliva and feces, are not normally considered OPIM under OSHA’s bloodborne pathogen (BBP) standards. This appears to be the result of value systems and not a lack of knowledge, indicating a need to integrate a psychoeducational approach to education of nurses.OSHA’s rules for bloodborne pathogens apply to exposure to blood as well as “other potentially infectious materials” (OPIM) that contain blood. Our study indicated some reluctance among nurses to care for patients with blood-borne pathogens. Further research on this issue is needed to attempt to understand the forces acting on our nursing staff, in order to ensure appropriate care of BBP-infected patients. Nurses must identify their preconceptions when caring for BBP-carriers. Perceived knowledge of BBPs has a weak effect on compliance with SPs and willingness to care for BBP-infected patients.

The level of perceived knowledge did not contribute to the nurses' avoidance of care of BBP carriers. The understanding of the basic principle of SPs did not influence the relationship between perceived knowledge and self-reported compliance with SPs 77.3% of the sample reported that they avoid therapeutic contact with BBP-infected patients. Only 96 participants (54.5%) stated that all patients should be treated as BBP-carriers. Levels of HIV-related knowledge were significantly higher than were those of HBV- and HCV-related knowledge. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire including sociodemographic information, level of knowledge concerning three BBPs (human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus ), level of compliance with SPs, understanding of SP principles, and avoidance of therapeutic contact with BBP-infected patients. The mean age of the sample was 39.41 (SD=10.1). Of the 180 participants, 159 (88.3%) were women with an average educational level of 16.40 years (SD=2.66).

This cross-sectional design study took place in a regional medical center in Central Israel during 2003.

Chapter 16 blood borne parhogens and principles of asepsis professional#

To examine the relationship between nurses' knowledge of blood-borne pathogens (BBPs), their professional behavior regarding handwashing, compliance with standard precautions (SPs), and avoidance of therapeutic contact with BBP-infected patients.