Topic summary
Blood-borne pathogens
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Blood-borne disease.
Prevention
Follow standard precautions to help prevent the spread of blood-borne pathogens and other diseases whenever there is a risk of exposure to blood or other bodily fluids. Standard precautions include maintaining personal hygiene and using personal protective equipment (PPE), engineering controls, and work practice controls among others. Always avoid contact with blood and other bodily fluids. Wear disposable gloves when providing care, particularly if you may come into contact with blood or bodily fluids. Dispose of gloves properly and change gloves when providing care to a new patient. Use needles with safety devices to help prevent needlestick injury and exposure to blood-borne pathogens. It is also recommended healthcare workers who come often in contact with contaminated material should get vaccinated against hepatitis B. A hierarchy of controls can help to prevent environmental and occupational exposures and subsequent diseases. These include: