Bloodborne Pathogens

In today's environment of health issues, communicable diseases and other health related topics, it's important to understand some of the potential hazards we all have on a daily basis. These potential hazards exist at work, at home and everywhere you go, so you need to know how to protect yourself from these hazards.

Bloodborn pathogens means pathogenic micro organisms that are present in human blood and can cause disease in humans. These pathogens include, but are not limited to, hepatitis B virus and human immunodeficiency virus or HIV. It's been in the news for several years and it's a major problem throughout the world. You may not have heard it called bloodborne pathogens, but you are probably aware of the term HIV or AIDS.

HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. Everyone is well aware that AIDS is a deadly disease and that everyone with AIDS does die. There is no known cure for AIDS. HIV or the AIDS virus is a bloodborne pathogen and is transmitted through sexual contact and exposure to infected blood or blood components. The Human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV has been isolated and implicated in transmission only by blood, semen, vaginal secretions and possibly breast milk.

Other potentially infectious materials means other body fluids such as fluids of the back, heart, pregnancy, lungs and saliva in dental procedures and any body fluid that is visibly contaminated with blood, or where it is difficult or impossible to determine body fluid contamination with blood.

Basically, to help reduce exposures, all body fluids should be treated as if contaminated with blood. In hospitals and health care facilities, all body fluids are treated as if contaminated with blood or blood products.

What does this mean to you, the person who is not a health care worker, paramedic or person who normally is not exposed to blood or body fluids containing blood? If you're a person who doesn't share infected needles with others or who isn't sexually active with more than one partner, why is this information important to you?

First of all, you need to understand the hazard, so you can reduce exposure to blood or blood products. You've seen it many times. An accident happens and a person begins to bleed and your first reaction is to help the injured person. In an automobile accident, you may be the first person on the scene and want to assist the injured persons. It's a natural reaction, but it's something that could cost you your life, if you don't have the knowledge or information to protect yourself from these potential hazards.

Let's say you assist a person who cut his finger and is bleeding. Is the victim infected with HIV? How do you know? Perhaps the infected person doesn't know he's infected with HIV or HBV.

The point we're trying to make is that proper protection from bloodborne pathogens can save your life. Obviously, persons working in health care have potential occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens because they work with blood and body fluids that may be contaminated with HIV or other communicable diseases, so they must take precautions to reduce the risks.

Needle sticks or puncturing your skin with sharp objects contaminated with blood can cause transmission of these viruses. If you have an opening in your skin and you get contaminated blood in this opening, the virus could be transmitted to you. What's the answer? Stop giving first aid assistance or running away when someone starts to bleed? The answer is to be armed with knowledge and information, then use that knowledge and information to reduce exposures to bloodborne pathogens.

Another bloodborne pathogen that is more readily transmitted than HIV, and is a very serious disease, is Hepatitis B, or HBV. It too is transmitted in the same manner as HIV, although there is a cure for HBV. If you work in an area where your job requires you to be exposed to bloodborne pathogens, your employer will make the hepatitis B vaccine available to you, which greatly reduces your chances of getting Hepatitis B. For those of you who are not normally exposed to bloodborne pathogens, there may be no need for the vaccine. It depends upon your exposure. If you routinely provide first aid or CPR services, you should be afforded the opportunity of the vaccine, however, it is not mandatory.

That briefly is the potential risk, but now, let's take a few minutes to explain how you can reduce your exposure to HIV and HBV.

We won't talk about sexual transmission or about IV drug users sharing contaminated needles, but we'll focus our attention on every day people whose jobs do not require exposure to bloodborne pathogens. The transmission of these viruses doesn't occur through casual contact. Many years of experience has shown that if you are aware of the hazard and take precautions, the risk is small. Even health care workers who have stuck themselves with contaminated needles, only about 1 percent become infected with HIV.

Health care workers are trained in emergency action procedures, as well as personal protective and engineering control measures, so they properly protect themselves from becoming infected. Those of us who do not work in health care, or who are not first aid or CPR providers, could be at risk by helping others, or simply not knowing what to do in the event of an emergency.

First of all, never handle blood or anything contaminated with blood without personal protection. Generally, that means plastic or latex gloves. Certainly, no one carries latex gloves with them off the job, so the answer is not to get involved with anyone bleeding or handling linen or clothing contaminated with blood unless you have minimum protection, such as latex gloves. If you are the type of person who wants to help in case of an emergency, it would be wise to carry gloves with you in your first aid kit or your automobile. The next step is to wash your hands immediately if you do come in contact with blood, including washing your hands

Immediately after removing gloves. Wash your hands thoroughly, using anti-bacterial soap. After you have used gloves, they cannot be washed and used again, they must be discarded in proper biohazard bags or containers used specifically for this purpose. In the event you become exposed to a bloodborne pathogen, such as cutting your skin with sharp glass that's contaminated with blood, wash the wound with water and seek emergency medical attention as quickly as possible.

Quick medical attention is of utmost importance. Before providing mouth to mouth resuscitation, use a device that prevents skin contact and body fluids from entering your mouth from the victim. These devices are readily available on the market.

Quite often, when an injury occurs, equipment and other surfaces are splattered with blood. This equipment and other surfaces then become contaminated and must be cleaned and sanitized before reuse.

Let's take a minute to explain the difference between cleaning and sanitizing. Cleaning is simply using water and soap to clean away the blood from the equipment or surface. It makes the equipment or surfaces clean, but it does not kill potential harmful bacteria and microorganisms.

In hospitals and doctor's offices, sterilizing instruments after they have been cleaned is one method of killing microorganisms, however, this may not be practical in most cases outside of medical facilities. One effective means of sanitizing a contaminated surface is to use one quarter cup of a common household bleach mixed with one gallon of water. This makes an excellent sanitizer and kills harmful microorganisms. Good housekeeping and hygiene are important factors in your health, as well as reducing exposures to bloodborne pathogens.

Some basic tips on housekeeping include inspecting and decontaminating reusable receptacles such as bins, pails and cans that have a likelihood of becoming contaminated. Always use mechanical means, such as tongs, forceps or a brush and a dust pan to pick up contaminated broken glassware, never pick up broken glass or other sharp objects with your hands, even if you're wearing gloves.

As a first aid or CPR trained person, there are other considerations, such as using biohazard waste bags and disposing of contaminated first aid supplies according to proper procedures, however, as a person who does not regularly work as a first aid or CPR provider and you do perform emergency procedures, be sure to consider blood splattered clothing, used first aid supplies and latex gloves as hazardous that require proper waste disposal, not simply throwing them in regular trash.

Good housekeeping, personal hygiene, personal protection and being aware of the potential hazards can go a long way in preventing exposure to bloodborne pathogens.

If you are assigned jobs that routinely require you to be exposed to blood, then you'll receive additional training. As a person who isn't normally exposed, you still need to know how to protect yourself from bloodborne pathogens because you never know when an emergency may arise. School teachers providing first aid to school children are exposed, good Samaritans providing first aid to injured persons are exposed, housekeepers, agriculture workers, manufacturing, construction...... everyone has the potential for exposure.

Protect yourself with gloves anytime you may come in contact with blood, or contaminated body fluids. Don't take chances. We want to be sure you understand that transmission of HIV or the AIDS virus isn't going to occur by casual contact.
Non-infected people have lived in the same house with HIV infected persons for years without contracting the virus. There's no reason to panic, or to exclude persons with AIDS from everyday living because the exposure through casual contact just isn't there. What is important is to understand that transmission of HIV and HBV comes from contact with blood and contaminated body fluids that contain these bloodborne pathogens.

If you protect yourself, know the hazards and how to prevent exposure, then the risk is minimal. Taking care to wash your hands, maintain good housekeeping, use disinfectant on contaminated surfaces, wear gloves when giving first aid and generally using common sense and good judgment in emergencies is essential in preventing these exposures.
In today's environment, it's just not healthy to take chances. We get skin cancer from the sun but you can protect your skin. We get lung cancer from smoking, but there are things you can do to prevent the problem.

There are thousands of exposures to a wide variety of illnesses, but there are preventative measures. In the case of bloodborne pathogens, knowledge and good judgment goes a long way to prevent exposure to HIV and HBV. You may not work in an area where you're exposed, but think about all the times when you're not at work and an emergency arises.

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