HIV/AIDS Precautions - Health Care

What should I know when employed as a health care worker?

• requirement Consider blood and body fluids from all patients as potentially infective. Refer to Routine Practices for preventing transmission of bloodborne infectious diseases. Common routes of exposure include punctures from an infected needle or sharp, entry via mucous membranes (e.g., nose, mouth, etc.), and any open wound.
• administrative Report immediately suspect fluid exposure, or a needlestick or sharp injury to a designated person or health care professional.
• requirement Please also see the OSH Answers document HIV/AIDS in the Workplace and Needlestick and Sharps Injuries for more information.

What personal protection should I wear?

Wear gloves: Replace torn or punctured gloves immediately. Use new gloves for every patient. Wear protective eyewear, masks or face shields (with safety glasses or goggles) during procedures likely to generate droplets of blood or body fluids. In general, protective eyewear, masks and clothing are not needed for routine care of AIDS virus-infected persons. Wear gowns when the splashing of blood or body fluids may occur. Please see the OSH Answers document Personal Protective Equipment for more information. Wash hands: The use of gloves does not eliminate the need for hand washing. Hand washing is one of the most important procedures for the prevention of transmission. Please see the OSH Answers document Hand Washing: Reducing the Risk of Common Infections for more information.

• requirement When you have open or healing wounds, or skin infections.
• requirement When in contact with blood or body fluids, secretions, excretions or non-intact skin.
• requirement When in contact with surfaces or articles contaminated with blood or body fluids.
• administrative When performing venipuncture or other vascular access procedures.
• administrative When carrying out cleaning or decontamination procedures.
• requirement Before and after direct patient contact.
• requirement Immediately and thoroughly when contaminated by blood or body fluids.
• ppe After removing gloves.
• ppe After a glove tear or suspected glove leak.
• requirement Before leaving a work area.