En Español
The risk of health
care workers being exposed to HIV on the job is very low, especially if they
carefully follow universal precautions
(i.e., using protective practices and personal protective equipment to prevent
HIV and other blood-borne infections). It is important to remember that casual,
everyday contact with an HIV-infected person does not expose health care workers
or anyone else to HIV. For health care workers on the job, the main risk of
HIV transmission is through accidental injuries from needles and other sharp
instruments that may be contaminated with the virus; however even this risk
is small. Scientists estimate that the risk of infection from a needle-stick
is less than 1 percent, a figure based on the findings of several studies
of
health care workers who received punctures from HIV-contaminated needles or
were otherwise exposed to HIV-contaminated blood. For more information on preventing
occupational exposure to HIV, refer to the CDC fact sheet, “Preventing
Occupational HIV Transmission to Healthcare Personnel” available at
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/factsheets/hcwprev.htm. Although the most important
strategy for reducing the risk of occupational HIV transmission is to prevent
occupational exposures, plans for postexposure
management of health care personnel should be in place. For guidelines
on management of occupational exposure, refer to the June 29, 2001 Morbidity
and Mortality Weekly Report, “Updated U.S. Public Health Service
Guidelines for the Management of Occupational Exposures to HBV, HCV, and
HIV and Recommendations
for Postexposure Prophylaxis” available at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5011a1.htm. For
more information on HIV and health care workers, visit the health care
worker section of the CDC National Prevention Information Network (NPIN)
Web site at
http://www.cdcnpin.org/scripts/population/hcw.asp, or call NPIN at 1-800-458-5231. To find a testing site
near you, visit the National HIV Testing Resources web site at http://www.hivtest.org. |